The Origins of a Man with a Death Wish
by OTPGalore19
Summary: After surviving a gang war, Jacob Hawthorne returns to Star City with hopes of settling into his old life. Away from the darkness he was submerged into. However, avoiding his demons prove challenging during an encounter with Damian Darhk. A man who is involuntarily connected to his past, and just so happens to be plotting against the Green Arrow. AU/Canon Divergence. EDITING.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I'll start off by saying that Arrow is one of my favorite TV shows, despite the crappy writing in season 4. I'm obsessed with Sara Lance, and she's the only woman that I ship Oliver with in the show aside from Felicity. And before I get flamed for shipping Olicity, let me first point out that I'm highly aware of Oliver's romantic relationship with Laurel in the comics. I just don't ship them in the show.**_

 _ **As for this story, I've been wanting to write a story that delves a little bit deeper into Thea's story arc, while also incorporating my own spin on how things turn out. It takes place in S4 and I plan on following some of the original storylines. I just won't be including or describing everything that happens while I incorporate my OC.**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with Arrow, the CW, or DC comics. I only own Jake and the original characters from his story.**

* * *

Life had a funny way of fucking people up when they least expect it, especially when it came to the life of Jake Hawthorne. His life had never been easy before, but at least then he didn't have to wake up every single morning with the need to just make it through another day. That feeling, that pain, had started 4 years ago when his dad was murdered.

Before then, Jake had lived a decent life with his parents in Starling City. They lived in a fairly safe apartment complex in the heart of the town. His father was a cop and his mother was a nurse. Jake had learned early on how to fight from his uncle Benji and his hardworking father, who thought of the skill as a necessity in life. As time passed and Jake got older, the need to protect himself became a want, an interest. Discovering and learning about all the different fighting styles became his passion.

But that passion had also escalated his natural instinct to start trouble, which often landed him in his father's office at the station. His arsenal of mischief ranged from filming himself free running on private property to "finishing" fights in school. He got lucky when Detective Lance's eldest daughter offered to help him stay out of trouble. Laurel was like a big sister to him. She would look out for him while he was on the streets and watch over him when his parents worked late night shifts.

Sara Lance took an immediate liking to Jake, recognizing his untamable spirit and playful behavior. They were the ultimate trouble making duo, making Laurel's life a living hell as they'd crash the Queen's famous charity events and dinner parties. The youngest Lance sister also had an interesting romantic backstory with Benji, who at the time was breezing through his early twenties

And then everything took a tragic turn for Jake and the people he cared about, starting in late 2006 with the presumed death of his uncle during a two year term in Afghanistan.

Jake felt empty after that, he wouldn't cry because he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop if he did. Instead, he'd fake a smile and just try to get through each day.

Unfortunately, that method didn't work on Thea Queen, one of the few people he had been able to talk to after everything. Their friendship was unexpected to say the least, as Jake had never seen himself associating with someone as self-centered and privileged as the youngest Queen. In fact, he was pretty sure that they wouldn't have even given each other the time of day if Jake hadn't been close with Laurel.

But there was another side to Thea, someone who was just as broken and damaged underneath, someone who cared about other people. Over the course of their friendship, Jake couldn't help the small crush that he developed on the girl.

It was amusing to Jake, looking back on his past and realizing how naïve he was when it came to understanding the real world. It was common sense for him, his dad dealt with people who poisoned this earth on a daily basis. And yet, he still couldn't truly understand how fucked up the world was until he experienced it for himself.

In a way, being taken and stranded for nearly 4 years in Northeastern Brazil was a blessing for him. He now had both the knowledge and experience to do something, to help make a difference. And after everything he had heard once he returned to Star City, it seemed he wasn't the only one who agreed.

* * *

 **Star City, October, 2015**

Jake let out a nerve wrecking sigh as he stood in front of his mother's apartment door. He couldn't help the sick feeling that overcame him as he finally built up the courage to knock.

He could hear the sound of feet shuffling on the other side before the door opened wide, revealing a fairly short middle aged woman with long brown hair. She was dressed in a pair of blue scrubs. Her purse hung from her shoulder, indicating that she was about to leave the apartment.

Jake made eye contact with his mother, a nervous smile plays on his lips, "Hey, mom."

She dropped her purse on the ground as she stares up at her only child in shock, "Oh my God. Jacob, what the hell happened?! You promised me before leaving that you would check in with me everyday! I hadn't heard from you in almost 4 years, I thought something happened!"

Jake enveloped his mother in a tight embrace as she started to sob. Choking back his own tears he rubbed her back in comfort.

His mother is the first to pull away, stepping back and taking in his new appearance. She leaned forward once again, her fingers trace over the scar on his left eyebrow and into his short navy blue curls.

"God, I am **so** sorry that I wasn't there for you when your dad died. You needed me and I drowned myself in my work at the hospital. I should've been there, out of all the days that I've worked and you were alone, I should've been there," she looked away, unable to meet her son's eyes.

Jake gathered his mother's hands into his own, forcing her to turn to him again, "Its not your fault, mom. I left because I needed space, I felt suffocated. I held all of my emotions in for so long, and I needed a moment to myself."

He paused, sighing as he glanced down to his feet, "I wanted to escape from everything, to take my mind off of all the bad shit that was going on in my life. But, I'm sorry. I should've called to let you know I was alive. I'll explain everything that happened later, but, uh, if you don't mind, I'd like to take you to work. You can catch me up on everything during the ride."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, his mother bent over to pick up her purse, giving Jake a small smile before locking up and following him out the door.

* * *

Jake exhaled as he stood outside of the district attorney's office. He was still trying to make complete sense of the new information he had been given from his mother.

He was already familiar of what she told him, most of which pertained to the return of Oliver Queen. His thoughts had immediately drifted over to Thea upon hearing the name. And ever since he dropped his mother off at the hospital, his mind had been plagued of her and everything that happened between them before he left Starling.

 **October, 2011**

 **Starling City Queen Mansion**

 _"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Thea stomped angrily after Jake, following him to his truck parked at the front of the Mansion._

 _Jake turned around with a small smirk on his face, leaning into the driver seat door, "What can I say? I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a drug bust."_

 _Thea rolled her eyes in annoyance, glaring at him when a laugh slips from his lips, "This isn't funny, Jake! I needed those for the party tonight!"_

 _Jake breathed out an exhausted sigh, running a rough hand through his curly mop of dark hair, "You're right Thea, this isn't funny. Nothing about the idea of you becoming a drug addict amuses me. Tommy was right, okay? Oliver wouldn't want to see you like this."_

 _Thea scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Well guess what? Oliver isn't here, what he wants for me doesn't matter anymore. My brother is **gone**."_

 _The brunette teenager paused her words and looks away, choking back a silent sob. Not long after, she turned back to Jake, masking her emotions with a heated glare._

 _"Y'know, it's funny that you're preaching to me about what **my** brother would want when you're still obsessed with what happened to your dad. I guess we're both not getting the memo."_

 _Letting the words sink in, Jake nodded his head before giving Thea a blank stare. He shoved his hands inside the pockets of his cargo shorts._

 _It doesn't take long for Thea to realize what she just said, and a look of regret ghosted over her features as she stepped closer to Jake, "Jake... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."_

 _Jake shrugged away from Thea as she reached for him, "No, don't apologize. You're right, I should move on."_

 _He turned away from her for a brief moment before staring back again with an intense look in his eyes, "I shouldn't be searching for the guy that murdered my dad for no reason. I should be off to college by now, living my life. I mean, why shouldn't I? Like you said, it doesn't matter what my dad wants. He's gone. Why should I care?"_

 _Jake paused, letting out a fake laugh._

 _"I **know** that my dad is dead. I confirmed his body at the morgue. But Oliver? Your dad? They're missing, you don't know if they died Thea. You can have hope and I can't because I know what happened to my dad."_

 _Thea looked away with tears in her eyes._

 _Jake glanced down at his feet, he shook his head before letting out an bitter scoff, "What am I doing wrong, Thea? I mean, should I just drown myself working at a job? Or should I spend the rest of my life consuming and buying drugs from a guy who lives in a sketchy RV?"_

 _Jake stepped closer to Thea, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie up and thrusting his arms out in front of him, "The other two options? I could leave this God forsaken city for a while and try to move on, or I can keep doing this," he paused, nodding down to his bruised hands as Thea covered her mouth in shock._

 _Thea closed the gap between them, her fingers gently trail over the bruising on his knuckles._

 _"Oh my God. Jake, what the hell!?"_

 **Present Day**

Jake took a deep breath before entering the office, sporting a small smile as he stared at the blonde young woman in front of him in amusement.

She was leaning over her desk, spinning a pen between her fingers as she focused on the scattered papers in front of her.

"Imagine my reaction when I found out you were the new kickass DA that's taking the city by storm. Congrats Laurel, you made it to the big leagues!" He exclaimed, a proud grin adorning his features.

Laurel lifted her head up, jumping back slightly in shock as she stared up at a pair of deep blue eyes. The shock shown in her facial expression had quickly disappeared, turning into a relieved one. She pushed back her chair and stood up before rushing over to Jake.

Jake sighed into Laurel's shoulder as she enveloped him into a tight embrace. They hold onto each other for a moment before Jake pulled away with a grin, "Hell, if I keep getting hugs like that I might not ever want to leave again."

Laurel gave Jake a playful shove as they both move back to her desk.

Gathering the papers on her desk, Laurel gave Jake a pointed look, "I'll make sure to put a tracker on you the next time you disappear. No calls, texts or letters? Seriously, Jake?"

Jake inhaled deeply, sinking down into the cushioned chair in front of Laurel's desk, "I know, and I'm sorry. I'll spare you the excuses and explain everything later, but it's a long story. Right now, I'm back and that's all that matters."

Laurel stacked the papers up in a pile and set them aside. She glanced at Jake before taking a seat behind her desk, "Have you talked to Thea?"

The young man in front of her sighed, rubbing his gloved hands together before adjusting the baseball cap on his head, "No, I uh...just got back. I visited my mom before coming here, I'll see her later on tonight."Laurel gave a Jake a knowing smile, her grey eyes glinting in mild amusement, "Thea missed you. In fact, I'm pretty sure she was more upset than I was when you left."

Jake nodded his head in response, looking past Laurel and out of the window. As he stared at the glowing sun peeking out from the blind covered window, he couldn't help but think about all the good times he had shared with the youngest Queen.

His train of thought was interrupted by the woman in front of him, who placed a small file in front of him.

Laurel cleared her throat, meeting Jake's eyes again with a hopeful and slightly uneasy look on her face, "News came in a few months ago about Phillippe Garmudela, a crew of fisherman found his body in the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of Rio De Janeiro. I already informed your mother."

She paused, reaching over to grasp onto Jakes gloved hand as he stares at the open file, unblinkingly, "We got him, Jake. You can finally be at peace."

The young man in front of her couldn't help the empty feeling inside him as he stared down at the words pertaining to the death of his father's killer. He wanted to feel relieved, knowing that the man who murdered his father finally got his karma. Especially since he was responsible for the man's untimely demise. But all he felt inside was emptiness, a gaping hole in his heart. He lost a part of himself that he could never get back.

The phone rang suddenly, bringing Jake out of his thoughts. Laurel answered it, closing the file and putting it away.

Jake turned to Laurel as she murmured quietly into the phone, a look of worry ghosting over her features.

She stood up suddenly after hanging up, "Hey, I'm really sorry for cutting this short. But there was an attack at City Hall, and my dad's there," she rushed to grab her purse and made her way to the door.

Jake stood up as well with a small smile, "I can go with you. I don't really have anything to do until later on, and I can go see your dad since he's there, make sure he's okay. Besides, I wanted to see if I could get a head start at the station."

Laurel turned around with slightly panicked eyes, "Oh, no! That's fine! You just got back, and I'm sure that my dad's fine. Besides, there are a few new places in the city, and I wouldn't want you to miss out on that. I'll put in a good word for you at the station and update you on everything later."

Jake scrunched his nose in confusion at Laurel's weird behavior for a moment, nodding his head afterwards, "Alright then. I'll just go meet my mom during her lunch break."

Laurel sent Jake a small smile as he left the office.

* * *

From his seat at the bar, Jake smiled slightly, admiring the scene in front of him on the dance floor.

Verdant had seemed to be the go-to place for nightlife in Star City nowadays, and Jake couldn't find it in himself to disagree with that as he bobbed his head to the loud and upbeat music. Clubs had always been his type of scenery. The atmosphere coupled with the upbeat music awakened his spontaneous and adventurous personality.

His eyes roamed over the club, scanning over the dozens of faces colored with the hues of the flashing multicolored lights from the ceiling. He repeated that a few times before stopping on a particular one near the entrance.

Jake nearly dropped his glass of iced bourbon in shock as he sits up in his stool. His deep blue eyes froze, staring at a certain green eyed young woman.

She looked so different from the last time he saw her, with her short dark hair and eyes filled with darkness. It was like the privileged young girl he once knew had transformed into a mature, down to earth young woman.

Jake gulped nervously, feeling like his heart dropped down to his stomach as Thea finally made eye contact.

He turned away from her shocked gaze, finishing what was left of his bourbon and downing the two shots of Russian vodka he had ordered minutes ago. He sighed, relishing in the burning sensation that rushed down his throat before standing up and turning away from the bar, facing Thea as she strides over to him.

Jake sported a faint smile once Thea reached him, she stood a few feet away with her arms lazily positioned on her chest. Her green eyes dilated slightly as she looked him over a few times. She just stared at him afterwards in awe, the shock in her facial expression disappeared as she consciously accepted his presence.

Walking up to her, Jake nodded his head as he looked Thea over, noticing the red leather jacket and the torn black jeans she wore.

"I'm impressed, Queen. Edgy looks good on you."

Thea scoffed in amusement before pulling Jake in for a brief hug, running a hand through his dyed hair after she pulls away. "I can't say the same for you. What the hell did you do to your hair? I liked the curly afro, made you look like a dork."

Jake chuckled, glancing down to his feet for a brief moment as his cheeks flush a bright red. "I had to shave most of it, it was pretty hot where I was. And I've always wanted to dye it."

He paused, a confident smirk playing on his lips, "Don't worry, though. I'm still a dork."

Thea shook her head, looking away with a small smile as the music died down a little bit. She then frowned for a brief moment, sighing afterwards as she turned back to Jake with apologetic eyes, "Hey I- uh, I never got to apologize for what I said about your dad, before you left."

Jake sighed, shaking his head as moved closer to Thea,"I didn't leave because of you. I mean, yeah, I was pissed afterwards. But I knew that you didn't mean it, I forgave you a long time ago."

Thea let out a brief sigh of relief, sending the man in front of her small glare afterwards while playfully punching his shoulder, "Y'know, I get that you needed space. But not keeping in contact with the people who care about you was kind of a dick move."

Before Jake could respond, Thea's cellphone beeped from her jacket pocket. She excused herself, moving over to the entrance to take the call.

Waiting for Thea's return, Jake looked around the club once more. His breathing stopped for a few moments when he spotted a shaded male figure upstairs in the VIP section. The figure saluted Jake, exposing the familiar skull shaped brand mark on the base of his tanned hand.

Jake turned his gaze away from the VIP section when Thea returned to him with a tired sigh.

"That was Ollie, I have to go," she told him, running a hand through her dark hair in exhaustion.

Jake shrugged as they both start walking to the entrance, "Its fine, really. I actually have to get home in a little bit. My mom's hell-bent on keeping me around at all times now that I'm back. Besides, we have plenty of time to catch up."

Thea gave Jake a small smile as they both headed for the front entrance, "Yeah, we do. It was good seeing you."

* * *

Jake whistled softly into the night, stuffing his gloved hands inside of his pockets as he made his way home, taking a shortcut through an abandoned area of the Glades.

While making his way through a fenced alleyway in between two apartment buildings, he stopped moving after hearing the sound of footsteps behind him. Turning his head slightly, Jake glanced back at the familiar figure behind him. He recognized him from the club.

Taking a deep breath, Jake spoke up in a calm tone, "Look, man, I don't want any trouble. You can just walk away, unscathed and alive. It doesn't have to end with your blood covering my hands."

The hooded man behind him laughed and proceeded to pull out a knife from his back pocket, "Ah, Vic told me you were a comedian. Unfortunately, your act is gonna have to get cut short **garoto**. Ain't that right boys?"

Jake exhaled as two more guys jump down from the nearby fire escape, they crack their knuckles as and marched over to him. Both of them attack at the same time, swinging their arms at Jake, who dodged each punch.

When the masked one threw a punch aimed at his gut, Jake deflected it with his hand and stunned him with a strike to the forehead. He grabbed the arm and effortlessly twisted it back, dislocating the goon's shoulder. He used the masked goon as a shield, shoving him into the heavier goon with a bandana wrapped around his forehead.

Jake stepped back slightly as the heavier goon delivers a right hook to his face. He laughed, dabbing at the blood in the corner of his mouth before pulling out a butterfly knife from his jeans pocket. He stabbed the heavier goon in the wrist after striking the pressure point in the nape of his neck. Then, in a rush of adrenaline and anger, he slammed the heavier goons head against the brick wall.

Jake spit out the blood from his mouth as the hooded man behind him let out a battle cry, slashing his right shoulder blade with his knife.

In response, Jake let out a brief grunt of pain before flipping the man over his wounded shoulder.

He wrapped one of his arms around the man's neck in a tight grip, lifting his body up from the ground, "I lied when I said you could live. I won't risk the lives of my loved ones," he closed his eyes as he twisted the man's neck in an unnatural angle thus snapping it.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the prologue! Don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: (August 2017) Hey guys! Thank you for the reviews and feedback, you'll never truly know how much I appreciate it. Sorry this chapter took so long, I had to rush to finish my Sophomore year and proofread and rewrite this chapter in between. Just a heads up, I changed the year that Jakes uncle was presumed dead. The year didn't sit right with me after I read the published version.**

 **Since school has started up for me, updates will be slow until the holiday's. Although, I'll try to update as often as I can. In the meantime, keep in mind that if I haven't published in awhile, its because I'm currently writing each chapter in between my studies and touching up/removing mistakes in my Document Manger.**

* * *

Jake sighed, running a gentle hand over his wounded shoulder as he stared into his own reflection. He stood on bare feet in front of a full length mirror that was attached to the back of his bedroom door, half naked and somewhat wet from the shower he had taken moments ago.

He slowly traced over the small flesh wound near the top of his right shoulder, the area around it had reddened with blood. Fortunately for him, the wound wasn't severe enough for him to go to a hospital or anything. Otherwise, he would've had a headache of a conversation with his mother.

She was asleep by the time he had gotten home last night, giving him time to cover up what happened or at the least make a believable excuse. He didn't want to talk about what happened, it would expose that darkness inside him.

Thea, Laurel, his mother... they just wouldn't understand. He returned home to find normalcy, to immerse himself in the way things were before Brazil. But now, he just couldn't revel in that feeling. What happened last night, spilling blood in his hometown, was a bittersweet reminder that he couldn't escape the person he had become.

It sent chills down his spine knowing that truth. But, at the same time, he wasn't afraid of that revelation. It was who he was now.

The wooden floorboards creaked underneath his feet as he made a full turn to the right, rotating his body in a circle. His deep blue eyes scanned over the scars all over his back.

Each scar held an equal amount of significance for Jake. They represented the hardships and obstacles he had to face in order to survive. He needed to become someone else, someone with enough willpower and instinct to survive.

 _ **December, 2011**_

 _ **Salvador, Brazil**_

 _The hard, steel door slide open, revealing a tanned skinned man with tattooed arms. His hazel brown eyes scanned over the briefly lit room, and he smirked once he made contact with the chained up young man in front of him._

 _Crossing his arms, the tanned man stepped forward, leaning in slightly as he spoke up, "Do you know who I am, kid?"_

 _Jake scoffed with a snarl, tugging on the chains that held his arms up from the ceiling. "Yeah, you're the **amateur** , drug dealing, son of a bitch who put a bullet in my dads head."_

 _The Brazilian man laughed, shaking his head briefly before delivering a sharp punch to Jakes jaw. The chains that supported his arms rattled from the force of the blow._

 _Phillippe shook his head again before leaning in to ruffle Jakes hair, "I'm impressed kid. But you're only half right. I mean, I'm smart enough to sneak drugs into the U.S, but I wouldn't be able to orchestrate a murder so intricately planned."_

 _The man paused, stepping back and pulling out check with too many zeroes from his pocket, "I was hired to do the dirty work, the pay was just too good to pass up. The big shot who paid me, wanted you taken care of too, he didn't want any loose ends to tie into his master plan. Hell, he creeped me out enough to make me think twice in pushing his buttons. I guess losing your wife in a mugging fucks up your life."_

 _Jake lifted his head up in shock, the anger in his eyes disappear as he silently goes over everything he knew about Malcolm Merlyn._

 _It didn't make sense, why would someone as successful and rich as Malcolm plot his fathers murder? The middle aged business man had no known ties to the Hawthorne's, and they weren't exactly high on the social status pyramid._

 _"What's the matter kid? Cat got your tongue?" Phillippe chuckled softly, pulling out a cigar from his pocket._

 _Jake turned to him after a moment, shaking his head slightly in disbelief, "That's bullshit, I don't believe you."_

 _The Brazilian man in front of him laughed again before lighting the cigarette and placing it between his chapped lips. He welcomed the tobacco with a deep inhale as he motioned to the door, inviting in a pair of guards._

 _"That's fine, I got proof to back it up. But right now, we got more important things to discuss."_

 _Phillippe paused as the two guards moved to stand beside him. Both men cross their heavily muscled arms and give Jake a blank stare._

 _"I could've killed you. Put a bullet in your head and be done with it. Instead, I brought you here. See, I have an older brother. Victor, he's a business man. He owns the cartel, overseeing everything from his fences in Bolivia. And he just so happens to be looking for new talent. All you have to do is survive the **initiation** process._

 _One of the guards that stood beside Phillippe uncrossed his arms, he smashed his fists together as he sent Jake a deadly glare._

 _Jake looked away with a scoff as he realized that he had no choice in the matter. He turned back to Phillipe with a fearless lopsided grin, his blue eyes narrowed in determination._

 _"I'm gonna kill you."_

 **PRESENT DAY**

Jakes cellphone chimed, startling him out of his thoughts as he turns away from the mirror. He nearly tripped over the skateboard that poked out from underneath his bed as he dived onto the mattress. Removing the phone that was buried underneath his pillow, he answered the call before its second ring.

"Hello?" Jake sat up, turning his head towards his TV as the commercial break ended and returned to an episode of "That 70's Show".

"Hey, Jake! Listen, I know you just got back, but I need a favor."

The urgency in Thea's rushed tone prompted Jake to raise an eyebrow in question. He stands up and mutes the TV, moving over to his drawer on the left side of his room.

"Damn, Queen. You're really milking those friend favors," he teased with a hearty laugh, pulling out a pair of black socks.

Thea let out an amused scoff, her mind momentarily wandered off to the times Jake would bail her out of messy situations, "Yeah, well I kind of promised a friend another favor. You remember Madison Danforth?"

With furrowed brows, Jake crouched down to his black duffel bag next to the dresser. He proceeded to search for a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, "Yeah, we met during your extravagant "Sweet 16" party. We were both wasted off of Don Julio and shitty beer."

He paused in thought for a moment, smoothing his curly hair back, "I think we made out."

Thea grimaced, scrunching up her nose in disgust, "Jesus Jake, ever heard of TMI? Anyways, I told her you were back and sorta promised that you'd meet with her. She's definitely crushing on you."

Jake chuckled softly in response, rising up from his position on the floor with a gray V-neck t-shirt and black jeans in his grasp. He moved to the desk space on the other side of his room, re-positioning the phone that was held beneath his ear.

"Really? Huh, I guess she couldn't resist my charm."

Thea rolled her eyes in response, scoffing through her phone as she approached the doors of a hall. She opened the door and entered the room, glancing over to Jessica Danforth as she announced her campaign in front of a large crowd. Her loud and authoritative voice mixed in with the flashing, almost blinding lights of the paparazzi cameras.

"Jessica's finishing up her mayoral campaign announcement. I'll send you Madison's-"

Jakes body tensed up at the sound of rapid gunfire and frantic screaming from Thea's end. He then heard Thea curse under her breath before she ends the call.

"Thea... Fuck!" Jake rushed over to his bed again, grabbing a pair of Converses before rushing out of his bedroom door.

* * *

Rush and anxiety overtake his mind as he parked on the side of the police station, slamming his door shut and running through the front doors. Passing through the officers and detectives, he searched frantically for Thea.

Then, he heard her velvety voice.

"Jake?"

He looked to the right, sighing in relief as he saw her next to Detective Lance's office. He was by her side in seconds, crushing her with his embrace.

"Jesus, Thea. Are you okay? I heard about the shooting on my way here. Shit, I ran three red lights!"

Some officers looked up with an unamused glare hearing Jake say this, but he simply ignored them.

Thea giggled, letting go of his embrace, smiling at him as he searched her expression.

"Jake, relax. I'm fine. I can survive a day without you by my side, you know."

"Just barely," He teased, which earned him a pointed look.

Just then, the door to the office opened and out appeared Oliver Queen. He glanced over to his sister for a moment before directing his gaze to Jake.

The billionaires vibe seemed to have changed drastically from what Jake remembered. Oliver had matured, judging by appearance alone, and may have experienced tough situations that had forced him to change. Whatever had happened on that island must've opened his eyes, exposed him to a darkness in him that he never knew existed.

"Hey, how's Jessica?" Thea questioned her brother with crossed arms.

He sighed, crossing his arms as well, "She's a little shaken up. But, she'll be fine. Lance is sending over men to look after both her and Madison until this blows over." He told her before returning his attention to Jake.

There were a few moments where Oliver had seemed to be examining Jake, right before he extended his hand, "Jake. How was your trip?"

Jake straightened himself out a bit in response, stretching his hand out and firmly gripping Oliver's in a strong handshake.

"It was… eye-opening. I had fun, but I got a little homesick after a while," He glanced over to Thea as he said this, his gaze softening a bit.

Oliver merely nodded in response, releasing Jake's hand and stepping back.

Just then, a frazzled Madison steps out from one of the interrogation rooms.

Witnessing this, Thea excuses herself and moves over to check on the youngest Danforth.

After Thea's departure, Oliver turned to Jake again, clearing his throat, "Hey, I appreciate what you did for Thea while I was away. Laurel filled me on what happened, she said you broke his arm in three places."

Jake let out an anxious chuckle, running a hand through his navy curls, "Heh, yeah. It was a wild night, she practically dragged me there. All I could do was watch over her."

Oliver nodded, giving Jake a small smile, "Nonetheless, I'm glad that you were there. She was lucky to have you."

"Jake? Is that you?"

Jake turned away from Oliver and looked straight ahead to the source of the voice. He smiled faintly, his gaze landing on Madison as she approached him with Thea in tow.

"How have you been?" Jake asked, embracing the blonde, "Y'know, before the shooting?"

"Besides today, things have been pretty good. I got into University, Philosophy major," She blushed lightly, returning his hug. After pulling away, she ran a hand through her golden hair as Jake congratulated her.

Jakes eyes wandered behind Madison for a moment, locking onto Thea. She nodded her head slightly, giving him the green light.

He turned his attention back to Madison, casting a sly smirk, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Listen, its been awhile since we talked. And I know today's been really rough for you. What do you say we go out for a night in the town? We could dine and play in Dave and Busters, or we could just take a stroll through the city."

Madison took a moment to contemplate his request, giggling softly and nodding her head soon afterwards, "We'd have to bring the guards, but yes. I'd love to catch up."

Thea watched as Jake took Madison's hand. She couldn't help the jealousy that overcame her as they exited the police station. It was stupid, really. She practically gave him permission to go out with Madison. And Jake was just a friend, a really good friend that she was fond of. Why would she feel this way?

 **Later That Day...**

"Thanks for stopping by the library. I really needed to get some studying in before my exam this weekend," Madison gave Jake a bright smile as they exited the library doors, hand in hand.

Jake responded by giving Madison a smirk, adjusting the bag of books on his shoulder, "It was the least I could do. I wanted to make it up to you after what happened in DB. I couldn't help it, that guy was asking for an uppercut."

As they walk down to the parking lot, Jake stiffened up, "Get behind me."

"Jake, what the hell-?" She paused in horror, staring ahead at the bloodied SUV and the deceased guards on the pavement.

Jake dropped the bag on his shoulder as he surveyed his surroundings, scanning the area around him like a hawk. He narrowed his eyes after a silent moment, spotting a bloodied figure on a nearby bench. The lamp over the wooden seat had illuminated the figures head, blonde tresses of hair covering the majority of his face. Jake could see the hard lines of a crooked grin underneath the strips of hair.

He turned away from the bench to check on Madison, who was frozen in fear with tears in the brim of her eyelids.

"Madison, hey, look at me," Jake commanded with a sharp tone, gripping her chin so she could look at him.

"When I give you the go ahead, I need you to move to our to SUV," He nodded towards the dark vehicle that was six steps away to emphasize his point.

Jake glanced back to the bench, making sure the man was still there. He turned back to Madison and nodded again, shoving her gently in an attempt to get her to move.

She moved at steady pace towards the SUV, with Jake trailing just behind.

As they get closer, Jake stopped walking when heavy footsteps suddenly echo against the ground. He turned back to look at the bench again, but jumped when a small dart shot past, impaling the side of his neck.

"Jake!" Madison exclaimed, her eyes widening in fright.

"Don't stop!" He yanked out the dart and chucked it to the side. His vision began to blur as he moved to Madison.

"I'm sorry it had to be like this. Just remember that I didn't want to hurt you, she's the sole thing I'm interested in."

Jake rubbed his face roughly as he continued his sloppy trek towards Madison. Despite his drugged state, he was still willing to protect her.

Then, out of nowhere, he felt a painful jolt in the center of his abdomen. The shock of the blow was enough to knock him over. He blacked out as soon as his face hit the pavement.

* * *

 **Arrowcave**

"You're not going, Thea," Oliver crossed his arms, his gaze locked onto his sister.

Thea turned around with a heated glare, "You can't stop me, Ollie."

She paused, lacing up the rest of the strings on one of her bracers.

"You're welcome to try. Although, that didn't exactly work the last time."

Oliver glared back, not letting go of his resolve, "What happened earlier is an example of why you shouldn't go. The bloodlust is affecting you, Thea. And until we figure out a solution, you can't patrol the streets."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be acting with my emotions if you hadn't acted with yours when Ras stabbed me!" She snapped venomously.

A stunned silence filled the air, followed by nervous stares from Diggle and Felicity.

Oliver held his gaze, despite the shock of his sisters words.

Thea sighed after another beat, regretting her words, "Ollie, I didn't mean that. It's just... Jake just got back. And after what happened with Mom and Dad- I can't lose him."

Oliver sighed, softening his glare before moving over to embrace the brunette, "You don't have to apologize."

"I'm worried too." Clad in black leather, Laurel approached Thea, moving away from the rack of weapons. She offered the youngest Queen a sympathetic smile.

"But this is Jake that we're talking about. He's a fighter, and stubborn as hell. He'll be fine."

"He's strong," Oliver agreed, nodding, "Either way, we'll be there."

* * *

"What the fuck?" Jake muttered when he finally woke, his tone still raspy with involuntary exhaustion.

He jumped up with startled eyes, remembering what had happened before he was knocked out. Looking around at what appeared to be a warehouse with five wide rows of shelved boxes, Jake stood up groggily. On his way up, he realized that he was bounded by up. He growled in annoyance, tugging on the chains with both his left arm and right foot.

He exhaled after a few moments of tugging, leaning against the brick wall behind him and giving his sore limbs a break. He surveyed the area around him a second time, noticing the video camera facing him from a few feet away. With the tripod, it stood at about 5 ft tall.

Turning to the right, he noted the square table with his belongings.

"Ah, you're awake."

Jake glared at the blonde man in recognition as he approached him through the small isle. He narrowed his deep blue eyes as Lonnie moved closer, carrying a plastic box.

He doesn't say a word as Lonnie placed the box on the table next to him.

The blonde man walked towards the video camera, turning it on before making eye contact with Jake.

"I gotta say Jake, this whole thing has really made my day! I mean, I never anticipated meeting you," Lonnie paused, moving away from the video camera and sending Jake a malicious grin.

"You're like a celebrity in my book! I'm a HUGE fan of your work back in Brazil. You were an animal! Chopping off limbs, playing a game of "Five Finger Fillet" with your victims hands! Even my employer... my former employer is intrigued with your work!"

Jake shook his head, scoffing before turning back to Lonnie, "My style of doing things was played out. A simple rookie mistake."

"No, it was genius! What you did was raw, unleashing the monster that was inside you all along. You were unstoppable! Even that guy that pushed you around, Paolo, got his karma. That's what happens when you mess with the "Ghost" of Rio De Janeiro," The lunatic pauses again, pulling out a lighter and a photo from his jean pocket.

He then approached Jake's chained form, shaking his head as he clicked his tongue.

"Its a shame really. That she halted your creativity."

Lonnie turned over the photo between his fingers, revealing a tan young woman.

Jake's face paled as he stared at the picture in shock. His gaze was locked on the photo, he recognized those pale blue eyes. Her pale blue eyes.

He still remembered what she said when they parted ways, he remembered how the slight heartbreak in her voice made him feel.

"I need space, and you need to go home J. That's where you belong.

In less than a second, he lunged forward just as Lonnie stepped back with a vicious smile.

"Where the fuck did you get that?! I swear to God, when I get out of these chains, you are so fucking screwed!"

Lonnie chuckled, flicking the lighter and lowering the photo to the flame, "Its funny really. The guy I worked for, was obsessed with the girl. Photos, surveillance, anything to keep tabs on Maia. She-"

A sudden scream interrupted Lonnie, followed by a series of heart wrenching sobs. After crunching up the burnt photo, he growled in annoyance, turning towards the office upstairs.

"Heh, look at that. I guess I'm going to have to chop off another finger."

Before he got the chance to move too far away, Jake reached out to attack. He lurched forward, wrapping his chained arm around Lonnie in a loose chokehold. The pipe that was attached to the chain had loosened from the force of his tug.

Lonnie elbowed him in the nose hard, leaving behind a deep gash at the base, freeing himself of the hold. But before he could retaliate further, a crash came from above as the skylight shattered into pieces.

Green Arrow landed smoothly from the ceiling, Speedy trailing just behind with her drawn bow. They both go after Lonnie as he dashed down the isle.

Moments later, Black Canary charged through the exit door and made her way to Jake. Spartan entered the warehouse after her, his firearm trained as he sprinted up the stairs to retrieve Madison.

Black Canary removed the chains from Jake and places a gloved hand on his shoulder in reassurance before leading him towards the exit.

On his way out, Jake turned back, his attention as Speedy electrocuted Lonnie, singeing half of his face. The last thing he witnessed before leaving was Green dragging her away from the burnt corpse.

* * *

 **Starling General Hospital**

Jake picked up his phone and slipped on his leather jacket with a grunt. When were those nurses going to understand that he was fine? Besides the busted nose, which he ended up getting stitches for. After the whole fiasco with Lonnie, he was rushed to the hospital along with Madison. She needed more help than he did, emotionally and physically.

He understood why, but he didn't want anyone to see his scars. He didn't feel like explaining them yet.

He raised his head as the door to his room opens, revealing his mother. She approached him with crossed arms.

"You need to get checked. We need to know if you have any other injuries."

Jake groaned, "Mom, I swear to you that I'm fine. Okay? I just need some sleep."

"Just because you feel fine, it doesn't mean you are," she moved closer and attempted to remove his jacket despite his protest. When she tugged on the right sleeve, the jacket rubbed up against the outside of shirt. It pulled the shirt along with it, exposing a bright pink scar on his right shoulder.

Jake froze as his mother grazed her fingertips along the small cut. He jerked away quickly, avoiding her gaze.

The older woman stared at her son in shock. She ran a hand through her graying hair and tried to make sense of her discovery. Soon after, she broke the silence, her voice cracking just a bit.

"You were gone for nearly 4 years, and you didn't contact me, Laurel, or Thea," she paused, choking on her words as a sudden realization washed over her.

"Something happened, and it prevented you from reaching out to us."

While still avoiding his mothers eyes, Jake turned to the window behind him.

"Jacob," his mother began in a serious tone, "You need to tell me what happened, you can talk to me."

"It doesn't matter." Jake muttered, avoiding the subject.

"It matters to me! You're my son! I deserve to at least know where you've been."

Jake turned around swiftly, balling his fists in anger and frustration.

"Fine! You wanna know what happened to me?" He paused, roughly tossing his phone to the side.

"I changed. I'm not just that goofy, smartass kid anymore. I'm darker now, I got so many demons. I can't wake up every morning without looking at my hands covered in blood. And I can't go by each day without thinking about the way dad died!"

He sighed after looking into his mothers eyes, seeing the tears, "I came back home thinking I could go back. I missed you guys so much, and I wanted a reminder of the old me. But then that fucking psychopath kidnapped me, and it made me realize that I couldn't be who I was anymore."

Jake approached his mother with a soft, yet serious look in his eyes, "There is nothing you could've done to change that. So don't apologize."

A knock is suddenly heard from the door, and Jakes mother wiped at her eyes before opening the door.

Thea stood in the doorway, her eyes land on Jake immediately. She rushed into Jakes embrace just as his mother turned to leave the room.

His eyes widen in surprise when he pulled away, noticing the the tears in Thea's eyes.

"Don't cry, Queen. I'm okay." He teased with a laugh.

After wiping away her tears with a scoff, Thea reached over to touch the base of Jakes nose. Her fingers grazed over the reddened, stitched skin in the center.

"Ouch. Well, it's good your whole face isn't screwed up."

Jake grinned, crossing his arms, "Yep, I'm a pretty lucky guy. I still got a lot of people to impress with this bad boy!" He motioned to his face, winking as the woman in front of him rolled her eyes.

Soon after, he cleared his throat and crossed his arms, "How's Madison?"

Thea sighed, running a hand through her dark hair, "She's doing as well as we could expect. She's still shaken up."

She paused, letting out a sigh and looking down to her feet, "Jessica dropped out of the campaign."

Jake shook his head, "I get it. I'm not sure if I'd want to run either after something like that. It's still a shame, though. She would've been awesome at the role."

"Yeah, she would've," Thea turned back to Jake, uncrossing her arms.

"Hey, it's been a crazy year. And I know you just got back, but Laurel was thinking of going on a retreat this weekend. And I was going to join her. I really need a break from this city."

Jake grinned once more, uncrossing his arms and shoving them into his pockets, "Oh, by all means. I know I'm not the only one who deserved a break."

He paused, his blue eyes brightening with a mischievous sparkle, "Have fun, I'll try to be here when you get back. **Emphasis** on try."

Thea scoffed with a smile, swatting at Jake's arm.

* * *

 **Arrowcave**

"Darhk is planning something big, and we need find out what it is and stop him. Hiring Lonnie was just the beginning."

Oliver exhaled a deep sigh, removing what was left of his armor before turning to Felicity.

She was currently staring wide eyed at her computer screen, her fingers frozen next to the keyboard.

"Felicity."

The blonde turned away from her computer at the sound of her boyfriends sharp tone.

She blinked quickly, rubbing her hands together, "Sorry. It's just- It's better if I show you."

Oliver raised an eyebrow as he approached the center of the Arrowcave. He moved to stand behind Felicity, who pulled up a video.

"I took a look through the memory card you found from Lonnie's video camera. And ... I found this," She motioned to the screen before pressing play.

Oliver crossed his arms with a glare as he watched the footage.

"Even that guy that pushed you around, Paolo, got his karma. That's what happens when you mess with the "Ghost" of Rio De Janeiro."

"Its a shame really. That she halted your creativity."

Noticing how tense Oliver was after watching half of the footage, Felicity paused the video.

"What do you think we should do?" She reached out and placed a hand on his forearm.

Oliver swallowed the lump in his throat, his gaze on the screen unwavered as he spoke up.

"This stays between us for now. I need to know more before we make any moves."

* * *

 **A/N: I was a little iffy about this chapter towards the end. But I went on ahead and published it since its been so long. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter or how I did! It really helps me in the long run!**


	3. Chapter 3

Panting out heavy breaths, Jake swung wildly at the punching bag in front of him. Each strike synchronized with the beat of an Eminem song he was listening to.

He had been at this all morning, pushing his body to the limit as he released everything he was feeling from the previous day. This was the right time to let everything out; his anger towards Lonnie for kidnapping him and hurting Madison, the frustration from finding out the lunatic had escaped custody with knowledge of his past, of her. The girl he considered to be his first...everything.

It was just him at the moment, shielded within the confines of Benji's house on the outskirts of the city. Alone and away from everyone else, he could finally expose the monster that had become of him recently. Away from the people he cared about and wanted to protect.

After the song ended, Jake yanked out his ear buds and thrusted his left leg back, kicking away the sparring dummy that was behind him. He then slung a towel over his naked shoulder and shoved his walkman into the pocket of his black basketball shorts.

He stood still for a moment in the center of the room, his deep blue eyes scanning over the basement. The space itself was small with fairly bright lighting. There was a small stairwell with wooden banisters situated to the left, leading to the living room. A messy, makeshift lounge area with a cushioned recliner sat over on the right side in front of a desk space. Racks of weights stood against concrete walls on the right along with an adjustable pull-up tower. Various cases of guns and ammunition were scattered around in the back.

Jake moved over to the desk space, grabbing his phone and an opened bottle of water. He sighed in mild frustration after checking his text messages.

He had been trying to get a hold of a contact he met in Brazil since last night, a hacker that could find anyone with just the push of a button. He knew the kid, Nico, when he was in the Santa Muerte and after he fought his way out. Nico knew Maia better than he knew her himself. So, along with his technical expertise, he had a greater chance of finding her. And right now, Jake needed to find her.

He couldn't stop thinking about her and how strong-minded and lively she was when they first met.

 ** _2012_**

 ** _Rio de Janeiro, Brazil_**

 _"Seriously, fuck this shit," Jake muttered quietly with a scowl as he lifted a heavy package of cocaine._

 _He had been doing this since February, picking up and unloading drugs from Rio and Salvador. He hated doing this, being a lapdog and working for an asshole like Philippe. Although, the Brazilian drug lord wasn't Jake's main issue. His head lieutenant, Paolo Santana, was the thorn in his side that was needle deep._

 _Paolo had been up on Jake's case ever since his "initiation" and branding. He enforced Jake on a daily basis, along with teasing and pushing him around. In fact, the only time he ever punished Jake for **actually** doing something wrong was for when he'd smoke some of the weed he was supposed to bring back._

 _After unloading the rest of the cocaine and stacking it next to the back entrance of the warehouse. He turns around to close the trunk, moving his dark curls back and wiping the sweat that accumulated on his forehead. He then walks away from the rusted truck and enters the opened garage, pausing beside the staircase when he hears voices upstairs in the office._

 _"What in the actual **fuck** are you thinking?! This plan of yours is gonna get all of us killed!" Paolo's angry shout echoed off the office doors, catching Jake's attention._

 _"Not if we're smart about it and no one fucks it up! Look, just trust me when I say that this is gonna work. But for now, this stays between us. The bastard won't even know what hit em!" Philippe replied, his tone resembling a loud whisper._

 _Jake narrowed his eyes._

 _"You better be careful."_

 _He jumped back, moving away from the stairwell as he turned around to face the source of the voice. He relaxed slightly after realizing who it was._

 _A young woman with warm beige skin and ocean blue eyes stood before him, running a swift hand through her long and dark brown hair. She wore a purple tank top with black jean shorts and a pair of sandals. Her black leather jacket was wrapped snugly around her curvy waist. There was a brown leather cord around her neck, along with a triangular Damascus steel arrowhead that hung in the center of her chest._

 _He had seen her in the warehouse most of the time, fixing up her Jeep and keeping track of the weapon stash. She would usually hang around in the makeshift weight room and spar with some of Philippe's men during the day._ _Jake didn't really know much about her, other than the fact that she had been working in the gang for about for a few years now. From what he had seen, she seemed pretty efficient in hand to hand combat._

 _She crossed her arms with a subtle smirk, her azure eyes glinting with amusement._

 _"Snooping, out in the open with the possibility of someone walking in and noticing. Not a smart way to eavesdrop," the girl, Maia, gave Jake a pointed look before turning around._

 _"No ones gonna notice. Besides, I don't do careful. Its too slow paced," Jake told her, his tone confident._

 _Maia waved him off, shaking her head as she walks off towards the weight room._

 _He turned back to the stairwell as Paolo stormed out of the office in a rush, his feet pound against the concrete steps like thunder. He_ _roughly bumped his left shoulder against Jake, shoving him out of the way as stormed past him and out of the warehouse._

 _Jake gave him a heated glare as he left, flicking him him off with both hands._ _He let out an annoyed exhale, moving over to the door leading to his locker room._

 _ **Later that day...**_

 _Inhaling the chilly breeze of the night, Jake paused his trek through an urbanized area of Ipanema and stared up at the sky in wonder. He could hear singing and upbeat Latin music down the street he was facing._

 _Carnival, the most anticipated event of the year in the capital of Brazil. Colorful bird costumes, parades, hundreds and thousands of people chanting, and dancing. All over the city._

 _Jake loved the idea of this record breaking event, something that was fun and brought all kinds of people together._

 _As he watched confetti litter the ground and a round of fireworks shoot off into the sky, he realized that this was something he could look forward to during his unexpected and unfortunate situation._

 _He turned around at the sound of subtle footsteps behind him._

 _He watched Maia as she cursed under her breath, shoving what looked to be some cash and a bottle of pills down her duffel bag._

 _She zipped it up and threwd it over her shoulder, turning her attention back to the street in front of her, smiling slightly as she noticed Jake staring at her._

 _"Hey, stranger! Enjoying the most **exciting** event this corrupted city has to offer?" She joked with a playful scoff, making her way over to Jake._

 _He smiled in return, looking over to the bustling street ahead, "You could say I'm a fan of the party scene. You?"_

 _"Easily my favorite thing about this place, besides the beaches," Maia paused , glancing over to the same street that was now filled with people dancing and drinking._

 _She then turned back to Jake with a sly grin, her sapphire eyes were filled with mischief, "What do you say we join the party? Y'know, since you followed me all the way over here. You forget to ask for my number?"_

 _Jake scoffed, letting out a laugh as he looked down at his feet, "You kidding? I barely know you, why would I know where you hang out?"_

 _He stepped up to her with a grin of his own, "But, I was looking to have a little fun tonight. I'm not sure about the date, but its definitely a yes to the party."_

 _Maia gave him a small smirk before walking over to an unattended table. She_ _snatched two bottles of Corona from its package and offering, one to Jake, "No one cares if your underage around here."_

 _Once Jake grabbed a bottle of the famous liquor, he followed Maia as she lead him through the rambunctious crowd of people._

 _Its past midnight when they find themselves sitting cross-legged on the sandy shores of Ipanema Beach. It was just the two of them, facing the ocean. They gazed off into the foggy horizon of the night, occasionally staring up at the moon from time to time. Bottles of Corona littered around their bodies._

 _Jake suddenly broke his gaze from the sky, remembering Maia's suspicious behavior from earlier. He turned to her with a raised eyebrow,"So, how'd you start working for a prick like Philippe?"_

 _The girl in question turned to Jake with shocked eyes. Being visibly caught off guard by his question, she turns away from him to gaze up at the stars above._

 _Her next words are almost as quiet as the wind whispering around them, "What's the most important thing in life?"_

 _Jake made a noise as he slowly leaned back, sinking himself into the sand._

 _Maia snickerd quietly with a smile, shaking her head as the young man next to her drunkenly moved his messy curls back into the sand._

 _He turned to her after a moment with a smile of his own, thinking about all of the people he's ever cared about. His mother and father, Benji, Sara, Laurel, **Thea**._

 _"Family."_

 _Maia nodded her head, bringing her knees up to her chest, "What's the point of living if you don't have people you can count on?"_

 _"Yeah..." Jake slured with a sigh, closing his eyes, "I was just curious. I mean, you don't seem like a bad person."_

 _Maia turns to him again with a blank facial expression, "I'm not exactly swimming in money right now. The job pays well. It doesn't matter what kind I get, **drug money is still money**."_

 **Present Day**

Even though he was mildly drunk that night, Maia's words stuck with Jake. They replayed over and over again like a mantra. What was the point in living without being surrounded by people you could truly love and care about?

When Jake thought about it, he realized that he wouldn't want to live without that. Without his friends, his family. He'd die for them, **kill** for them.

* * *

 **Starling City** **Police Department**

"Thanks for meeting with me Captain Lance," Jake greeted with a smile, offering his hand to the older man.

"No need for the formalities kid, you're family," Quentin dismissed Jake's offered hand. Instead, he pulled him in for a brief hug before sitting down.

Jake took a seat as well, heaving a sigh as he leaned back into his chair. He took a moment to briefly examine the office, noticing the change in furniture and the plaques on the wall.

Quentin pulled his chair up to his desk, clearing his throat soon afterwards, "Don't tell me that you got homesick, kid. I've lived in this city, this **state** all my life. There are other people that would jump at the chance to leave this godforsaken city and never look back."

He paused with a small chuckle, "Hell, even I would leave if I could. Or even take a vacation. With all the paperwork and criminals I've had to deal with, it seems that God wants to keep me around until I'm over 100."

Jake chuckled at the detectives joke, shaking his head, "I'd love to tell you it was all fun. But most of it was soul searching, figuring what to do with my life. I've been looking into careers for criminal justice."

The middle aged man nodded, crossing his arms as well, "Yeah, Laurel filled me in on that. Said you were interested in becoming a cop."

A moment of ill silence suddenly filled the air as Jake switched his gaze from the detective to the wall behind him.

Quentin watched him with a knowing expression, he didn't need to turn around to know what Jake was looking at.

Hanging from the plastered wall, a picture of Jakes father was centered in between two awards. The man, who was in his mid thirties at the time, beamed with pride as he held a plaque in his hands. His deep blue eyes shone with happiness, matching with a bright smile.

Jake remembered that eventful day, it was his favorite memory of his father. He had left school early that day of his third grade year, and later celebrated the award with a movie marathon and pizza with his parents. That was one of the few times he actually got to spend time with his father, let alone his mother, without work getting in the way.

Quentin turned to the picture as well with an appreciative smile, "Your father was one of the best Lieutenants I've ever worked with. He'd come in every morning, tired as hell, but with a smile."

The captain cleared his throat before giving Jake a pointed look, "Everything he did for this department, **this** city, was for you kid. Michael, he wanted you to have every opportunity in the world. Kinda reminds me of how I was when Laurel and Sara were born."

Quentin exhaled a deep sigh, rubbing a rough hand over his face and into his graying beard.

At the mention of the two women he considered as his sisters, Jake broke his gaze from the wall and glanced over to the framed photograph of Sara and Laurel on the desk.

He smiled at the photo, remembering every night he stayed out late or snuck out to a party with Sara.

Every time Jake went through a rough patch and needed an escape, Sara was there. She helped him ignore all the bad shit in his life, even if it was just for an hour. She never judged him for wanting freedom.

"I still remember her first date like it was yesterday," Quentin's eyes glazed over briefly, a sad smile on his lips as he recalled the eventful night to Jake.

"September 2003, around 6:00 in the evening. Your uncle pulls up to my driveway in a silver 1970 Mustang Fastback. Benji gets outta the car, clad in a leather jacket and a black dress shirt, his hair all spikey and cropped at the top, and walks to the front door with a nervous smile. I open the door with a gun in my hand and a deadpan expression. He comes in and shakes my hand firmly, before sitting down. And before I start listing off the rules, I ask him, "What's your favorite organ?" He paused, exhaling a deep chuckle before continuing.

"And the kid says immediately, "The brain, her brain. Its my favorite thing about your daughter, sir. She's really smart." And I freeze in my seat. Benji starts to get anxious afterwards, I could see it in those doe brown eyes of his. I was expecting the kid to say something stupid, something that could tell me that he wasn't right for my daughter. But he didn't, and I was pleasantly surprised. So, before he starts to freak out, I say, "Good answer, kid."

Jake smiled in amusement, crossing his arms, "Benji did always have a way with words," he paused with a rough exhale, rubbing a hand through his hair before meeting the detectives sad gaze.

"This might sound crazy, but I think that Benji and Sara might still be alive. I mean, its been 8 years. We don't know for sure that they died, which could be good or bad. Either way, I can't ignore the possibility of that. Of them coming back one day."

Quentin looked away briefly before giving Jake a sad smile, "That's good kid, hold onto that hope. We could use a lot of that nowadays. Especially with those bodies that popped up in the Glades."

Jake eyes widen slightly in curiosity and shock. His thoughts drifted over to what happened when he returned 2 nights ago. He hoped that Quentin wasn't talking about those bodies, the ones he was responsible for.

He anxiously cleared his throat before questioning the captain with a raised eyebrow, "Do you have any information on the guy who did it? Physical appearance, age, anything I should look out for?"

Quentin gave him a look, "Don't get too ahead of yourself kid, your not a sworn officer yet," he paused, sighing, "But, to answer your question, no. We only got the bodies this morning."

Jake only nodded in response, taking in the new information.

* * *

 **Arrowcave**

"Damn it!" Oliver exclaimed with a frustrated grunt, pushing himself up again on the Salmon Ladder. He had been trying to get through this last rung for the past 3 minutes, but he couldn't focus. He was too plagued by his mind, and its buzzing thoughts.

Only a few of those thoughts consisted of Darhk. The rest consisted of Diggle, and their strained friendship. He tried everything to earn his trust back...at least from his perspective. But the veteran soldier wouldn't budge, he was just too stubborn.

This whole situation with Jake didn't help matters, it only added to Oliver's plagued mind. The former playboy didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he needed to know if Jake was a threat. For Thea's sake, and for Star City.

"I'd be drooling right now if I wasn't so busy researching Thea's "friend"," Felicity joked, air quoting before she continued her typing.

Deciding to take a break, Oliver jumped down from the ladder with a deep exhale. He grabbed an unopened water bottle before making his way over to Felicity.

"What did you find?" He asked, taking a few sips of his water.

"A lot actually. Police reports, news articles, footage. Unfortunately, none of those connect Jake to this Ghost. But," the blonde paused, pulling up four different windows on the computer screens in front of her.

She turned to Oliver afterwards, gesturing to the computers as she spoke, "I was able to hack into the database of the Civil Police Department in Rio. And the files they have connect Jake to something else, something a lot more... interesting."

Oliver leaned in slightly, glaring as the four different profiles popped up. He followed Felicity with his gaze as she continued, gesturing to the computer monitor on her right.

"Daniel Reyes, investigator of the CPD since 2006. Late 20s, 6'3, and... " The blonde hacker paused again with widened eyes.

"He was hunted down after murdering his Captain, who was later revealed to be working with Victor Garmudela. Geesh, out of all the places in the world, Jake couldn't have picked one that was, I don't know, less corrupt?" Felicity retorted with a scoff.

Oliver shook his head, pointing to one of the paragraphs of Jakes profile, "Jake didn't **want** to go to Brazil, he was forced."

Felicity nodded her head, skimming through Jakes profile, "He was involved with the Santa Muerte, a Brazlian drug cartel that was well known in the Northeastern parts of South America. Prostitution, trafficking, and all the other norms for a notorious gang," she pointed to the two other profiles in the center, "These two were his closest allies. Nicolas Alvarado: hacker, DJ, and a current student at Stanford University. He's majoring in mechanical engineering, under a scholarship."

Felicity shook her head this time, skimming over Nico's backstory, "Why do I get the feeling he hacked himself a scholarship?"

Oliver turned to Felicity, giving her a pointed look.

"Sorry, off topic," she cleared her throat before continuing.

"Maia Cruz, black belt in Tai Chi and Brazilian Jiujitsu. She worked for the gang after declining a spot at the ANPRF. None of the footage I uncovered of her showed much, mostly just her roaming shantytowns and slaughtering gang members with the Ghost. That and Machins footage is the only solid evidence we have that suggests Jake is the Ghost. Plus, he didn't exactly deny it in the tape."

Without a word, Oliver moved over to the display case his suit currently resided in, grabbing his bow from the nearby rack.

"The SCPD found 6 bodies in the Glades, 6 bodies with the same brand mark that members of the Santa Muerte used. Whatever this is, needs to end. And, since Jake is our only lead, we follow it. I'll get answers."

Jake pulled the hood of his blue flannel jacket over his head, strolling down the sidewalk. Breathing in the mint flavored vapor from his vape pen, he aimlessly roamed the empty streets ahead, passing run down restaurants and tattoo parlors in the Glades.

There was something about the night that fascinated Jake. He loved how spontaneous it could be, the thrill. He considered himself a Night Owl, someone who felt more alive when the Sun disappeared and the Moon took its place.

He sighed, releasing the flavored vapor from his lips as he crossed the empty street, making his way through the bridge of an intersection.

When his phone chimed from his pocket, Jake slowed his pace to a near stop.

He answered it after looking at the caller ID, "Took you long enough."

"Yeah. Well, maybe if you and Maia hadn't insisted on me going to college like a normal person, I'd be free enough to do things for you," a sarcastic voice replied from the other end.

With an eye role, Jake exhaled an annoyed sigh, "Whatever, smartass. We both know that you're smart enough to finish all of your assignments within like, thirty minutes."

There's a scoff at the other end, along with the sound of typing, "Pssh, I'd rather work on upgrading my drone. Besides, all of the stuff they give me is freaking easy! What's the point of going to school if you're already educated in everything?"

The hacker paused with a brief exhale, "Anyway, Maia contacted me a few days ago. Mentioned something about being followed. She seemed a little a panicky on the phone."

Jake grips his phone a little tighter, his eyes widening, "What?! Is she okay?!"

There's a sound up above on the bridge that prompted Jake to ignore Nico's response. He glared, focusing on the area around him, listening in for another sound.

"Yo! Jake, did you hear me? I said that the guys who tailed her wore tactical gear, used military grade weapons. She said that when she cornered one of them, he mentioned something about a 'H.I.V.E.', then offed himself with cyanide."

Once Jake surveyed the area a few times, he sighed, some of the tension leaving his back. He was still on edge. Something felt off.

"Sorry man, I've just been really paranoid since I came home, especially after... that night I got back. I thought I heard footsteps."

"That's understandable. After everything you've been through, you get to be paranoid. By the way, I checked, and Vic isn't anywhere near you. He must be giving orders from afar, like in another country afar."

Suddenly, a green arrow sliced through the air from up above, and Jake was almost to slow to respond.

He muttered a silent curse, dodging the pointed projectile that had been dead set on impaling his shoulder. It landed right behind him, emitting a loud bang followed by a bright glow that blinded him.

"Shit! I gotta go!" He whispered hurriedly into the phone before hanging up, not giving Nico the chance to respond. He lifted an arm up to his face to fend off the light.

Time seemed to speed up once Jake regained his vision. His body was set into a fighting stance as he tried to locate his attacker.

A green gloved fist is suddenly thrown, barely missing Jakes face as he deflected it quickly with his hand, delivering a strike of his own.

Not much time passed when Jake swung his fist again, feeling drained from energy as he continued to defend himself. His vision was still a little blurry from the flash bang.

The fight ended when the hooded attacker deflected Jake's uncharacteristically weak punch, grabbing it and twisting it back. He proceeded to hit him square in the face with his compound bow, knocking him out cold.

* * *

 **Nanda Parbat**

Laurel sighed in exhaustion, packing up the last of her belongings in her duffel bag. Once everything is packed, she moved to zip up the bag, but stopped as she noticed a photograph. It was stacked on top of the neat pile of clothes she brought.

Smoothing a stray lock of her blonde hair back, she leaned forward to pick up the the lamented photo. She smiled, remembering the night it was taken.

It was the weekend before Sara went off to college, and Laurel wanted to spend some time with her sister before she left to start a new chapter in her life. She also had to watch over Jake, who was thirteen at the time and still as mischievous as he was when she had met him that previous year. And since Sara had never officially met the little troublemaker, Laurel thought it was a good idea to put the three baseball game tickets she had to good use.

That night, the Starling City Rockets had won the three hour game by a blowout against the Central City Diamonds, 32-5. And Jake, who was hyped up by caramel corn and cherry cola, had caught the baseball during the last inning.

Laurel's smile widened, staring down at Jake's thrilled expression in the photograph. Sara had also worn a smile, her arm was wrapped around Jake's shoulders as he held the baseball up in pride.

"Hey."

Laurel turns around to face an exhausted Thea, who sleepily trudged into the bedroom in her pajamas before closing the door.

"Hey, couldn't sleep?" she gave the youngest Queen a small smile.

"Yeah, I just can't focus on sleep lately. Especially with everything going on," Thea paused, glancing over to the photograph in Laurels hand.

"No way, is that Jake? I've never seen pictures of him that young. Just of him in high school," she walked over to get a better look.

Laurel giggled softly as Thea grabbed the photograph in awe, covering her mouth with one hand in an attempt to stop herself from squealing.

"Jake would kill me if he knew I showed you this."

Thea scoffed out a laugh, "That's because he knows I'd never stop teasing him about it. Look at those freckles, and that goofy smile! He was such a cute kid, could've gotten away with murder with those looks."

The smile from Thea's face quickly disappeared as her gaze switched from Jake to Sara in the photograph.

Her thoughts suddenly drift to the youngest Lance, and the reason her and Laurel came to Nanda Parbat, "I know you said that you wanted to keep this between us. But once we figure out a way to bring Sara back for good..."

Thea sighed, threading her fingers through her dark hair, "I just think that Jake should know, and he needs to hear it from you."

Laurel sighed as well, taking a seat on the bed, "I know, but I don't want him to get his hopes up."

She paused, turning to Thea and gesturing to the photograph in her hands, "Her eyes were empty when she looked at that photo. If we can't get her back, I'd rather let Jake believe that she just died on the Gambit. I know it's wrong, but I don't want him to feel that pain again. I don't want him to shut himself down like he did when his dad died."

Seeing the tears in Laurel's eyes, Thea walked over to sit beside her on the bed, pulling her into a tight hug.

* * *

With a painful groan, Jake opened his eyes. His face scrunched up in a grimace as a sharp sting surged through his forehead, followed by a dull ache.

Once the headache ends, he took a moment to look around. He quickly determined that he was in what looked to be a small warehouse somewhere in the Glades. Shaking his head, he forced the rest of the foggyness from his mind as he looked down at himself. Each of his legs were zip tied to one of the front legs of the wooden chair, and his arms were zip cuffed behind behind the back of the chair. To make matters worse, cables were wrapped tightly around his torso.

Groaning in exasperation, Jake looked around in an attempt to try to find something that could aid him. Anything that may have even been of slight use was far out of his short reach.

Jake let out a deep exhale, he knew he would have to use a tactic he learned during his many captures in Brazil.

"This is going to hurt," he grumbled under his breath and prepared himself.

Once he was ready, he used all the strength he could generate to rock the chair forward, using the balls of his feet to push himself backwards afterwards. With Jake in tow, the chair landed on its back legs with enough force to snap and crash roughly to the ground.

"Shit, I forgot how much that hurts," he mumbled under his breath from his place on the cold, concrete ground.

He then twisted and struggled away from the loosened cables and to his knees. Jake prepared himself again before yanking his left shoulder out of its socket with a painful grunt, hearing a loud pop in response. With his shoulder now dislocated, he managed to maneuver under his body and bring his still zip tied hands in front of him before falling to the side on his left dislocated shoulder.

That produced another pop as his shoulder popped back into place, which was accompanied by another loud grunt of pain and muttered curses from Jake. Returning to his knees, he brought his wrists to his mouth, using his teeth to pull the end of the zip ties to the middle. Then, he pulled them as tight as he could before intertwining his fingers and raising his arms above his head, only to slam them into his midsection with as much power as he could muster.

The snapping noise of the zip ties breaking was like music to Jakes ears. Rubbing his wrists, he stood and looked around for the warehouse door. It was to his far right next to a shelf rack in the corner. Before approaching it, he scanned the room to make sure no one was hiding in the shadows and then made a break for the door.

Reaching it, he extended his left hand to the knob to open the door. Suddenly, a sharp, bolt of pain sprung through the previously dislocated shoulder.

"What the fuck!?" Jake yelled out as he looked at his shoulder, grimacing at sight of a green arrow sticking out of it. The color only added to his anger and pain.

"Jacob Hawthorne!" A deep modulated voice stated with a nearly inaudible thud.

A figure dressed head to toe in green leather dropped from the shattered skylight in the middle of the ceiling.

Jake let's out an amused scoff, shaking his head. Tired and pissed didn't even fully cover what he was feeling right now. But, as he glanced over to his impaled shoulder, noticing the blood that slowly seeped out and covered his fingers, he couldn't help himself from finding humor and irony in the situation.

"Kidnapped, two nights in a row. I must be famous or something."

* * *

 **A/N: Happy Thanksgiving guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I suck at updating, but my schedule should get better soon. For whatever reason, I had so much trouble with this chapter. FYI, I scrapped Jakes bio in the prologue, mainly because I changed a few minor things. His face claim is still the same though, he's played by the guy in Kickass and Pietro Maximoff in Avengers.**_

* * *

"So, this is like the fourth voicemail you're getting from me. Y'know, since you won't answer your fucking phone," Jake paused his rant, facing the mirror in his room with a grimace as he continued to wrap a bandage around his left shoulder. Along with the area around it, the wound itself was still sore from his decent stitching job.

It was currently the morning after his unexpected meeting with the famed green archer. He had immediately rushed home after his escape to patch up his impaled shoulder. He wanted to recover at the abandoned house his uncle had owned, but it wasn't close by and he had been quickly losing blood. Once he indulged in a glass of his trusty bottle of Bourbon to ease the pain, he called up Nico to assure that he was fine. And to talk him into handing over Maia's new number.

"I know you're busy hunting down Victor, but I- we have a _bigger_ issue right now. Like I said in the last three voicemails, someone knows about us. He asked questions about you and the Santa Muerte, tried to scare the piss out of me, and then he put an arrow in my shoulder. And as much as I wanted to, I didn't get to return the favor to Robin Hood. Some guy with tattoos showed up, and I bolted. Good news? I only had my burner phone on me. Replacing my vape pen is the only con I can think of."

He turned to his bed to stare at the long, rectangular case that was situated near the edge.

"This is bad, M. No one can know about who we are and what we did, it's too dangerous for _them_ and _us_. Please, just call me back on my main cell as soon as you can," Jake sighed before hanging up and placing his phone on the bed. Afterwards, he stared at the iron wood case in front of him a moment longer.

He stayed up all night thinking about the significance of this case, and whether or not he was ready to open it. He closed this case, _that_ part of himself after he left Brazil. Almost every single item inside was a connection to what he became there, and every life he's taken. He was the Ghost, a seemingly soulless being who slaughtered and destroyed the evil, corrupted souls of men. He went from being a damaged, grieving teenager to an urban legend.

With the conclusion that he needed to resurrect that part of himself, Jake exhaled a deep breath before prying the case open with his hands.

Once it was opened, he was welcomed by the familiar sight of his equipment. A black and sleeveless cloak-like hoodie was situated in the center, along with a black tube face mask that sat on top and two arm bracers on the right. One was a full sleeve with black leather buckle straps, and the other was a half sleeve that just covered his forearm with plated steel. Both were lined with Kevlar.

The top and bottom halves of the case were occupied by his arsenal of weapons, which aligned with the lengthy sides of the case. The two blades, a Kukri Machete and a Ginungting, were crafted out of Damascus steel. A pair of custom Colt 1911's sat between them, as well as its six stocks of ammunition. The framework of both guns imitated the unique construction of the same steel that made the blades. It's combination of various alloys merged together, forming into a pattern akin to the wood of the case securing it.

Finally, three small drawstring pouches were settled in the bottom left corner. Everything was cushioned above bunches of straw that filled out the wooden case.

Jake smiled, reaching over to grab two of the black pouches. The items were a reminder of who he was without his signature moniker. They signified the good natured qualities that still existed inside, making him human.

He opened the first one that was labeled 'Gift', pulling out a small, maroon rectangular box. His smile only brightened as he cracked the box open for a brief moment, reading the name that was labeled inside.

A sudden buzz was heard from his cellphone, and in turn he placed the box back in its bag before checking it. He chuckled once it was unlocked, his small smile turning into a grin as he read the text message from Thea,

 ** _Hey! Laurel and I just got back from the airport, and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out this afternoon? We could catch up on things, go shopping, whatever you're in the mood for!_**

 ** _XO_**

With another smile, Jake replied with a text of his own,

 ** _Yeah, I'd love to! I just have to make a stop before then, you can meet me there if you want._**

 ** _XP_**

 ** _35th St. Rosewood Cemetery_**

After sending his message and setting aside his phone, Jake grabbed a hold of the other bag. He loosened up the strings that tightened the bag, pulling out a necklace. His rough fingers curled around the black leather cord before grazing over the sharp edges of the Damascus steel arrowhead in the center. He then turned the pendant over, recognizing the familiar engraved symbol on the back, single flame decorated the metal.

In more ways than one, this necklace was a connection to the spitfire Jake had met a few years ago. Maia helped him survive, taught him how to improve his stealth, and educated him on everything he currently knew about bladed weapons from the Philippines.

To this day, he still couldn't fully understand why and how he trusted her the way he did. Maybe it was because she was one of few of the most attractive girls he had ever met, physically and personality wise. Or maybe there was something inside of her that drew him in, something that reminded him of himself.

Maia was like him in many ways: mysterious, committed, loyal, down to earth. And like him, she had a temper. But when pushed, she could raise a lot more hell. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with. Two small, passionate flames that came together and wrecked havoc on anything that crossed their paths. Anyone who survived their attack had sure wished they were dead.

Looking back on their relationship, Jake concluded that there were many things that contributed to the end of their romance. One being everyone's worst enemy, _**time**_. They had both changed over the course of their journey, and their perspectives on certain things had darkened significantly. Maia's change, however, was directed from something else. Loss, grief, _**revenge**._

She had lost someone during the war that Phillippe had purposely created. Someone she knew ever since she could remember, someone who raised and protected her. That special someone had inspired her desire to make something of herself. Losing _**him**_ the way she did changed everything for her. Aside from caring about her friends, her love and protectiveness over Jake was the only thing that remained consistent. She did her best to preserve his humanity, even whilst struggling with it herself.

Her involuntary ties to the Garmudela brothers didn't help matters, it only complicated things. Especially when it came to Phillippe's plan to take over the gang. And that genius plan consisted of recruiting Jake instead of killing him. Since the Brazilian drug lord had been banned from his home country until he paid his brother the money he owed, he had stayed in Starling City. He had eyes everywhere whilst building up his reputation as a notorious drug lord. And one night, he ended up spotting a hooded Jake, who was sixteen at the time, at an underground cage fighting tournament within the heart of the Glades. The man watched with a smile as a bruised Jake won the brutal match against a guy who was nearly twice his size. Which was huge, considering that Jake was over 6'0 tall at the time.

Philippe had seen something in Jake that night: inner strength, willpower. He hadn't even turned eighteen yet and he already seemed like he had more balls. His gall left an impression on the Brazilian, and for whatever reason, it gave him an idea that would make anyone with common sense scratch their head.

Luckily enough, he ended up stealing everything his brother had built. However, he couldn't enjoy it before witnessing it crash and burn. Everyone else scattered to different places, some followed Victor, and others stayed behind.

"That fucking idiotic bastard..." Jake murmured out with a scowl as his eyes trailed down to the right side of his chest. He ran the pad of his thumb over the branded area, outlining the scarred yet sculpted pectoral muscle. The pink and slightly deformed area of skin was shaped like a skull.

For Jake, having this brand mark on his chest had been nothing more than a curse the past few years. The only reason he even went through what he went through in Brazil was because of the selfish, greedy actions of a drug dealing bastard. Malcolm **might** have been responsible for his father's death, but there was nothing that could prove his involvement. Every bad thing that happened afterwards was because of Phillippe. Bloodshed, death, manipulation. That was proof. All of the bad shit that occurred during those next few years was because of him.

The resulting damage in what he did had forever changed the life of not only Jake, but for Maia as well. They were both forced into a war that they didn't want to be a part of. The only difference being that Jake's involvement seemed liked a coincidence in the beginning.

* * *

With her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, Thea quietly passed through the steel gates, entering the cemetery. The only sounds she heard around her as she searched for Jake were the soft whispers of the Fall breeze, followed by the crunching of leaves beneath her boots.

It was about an hour past noon, and so far it had been a fairly nice day with partially cloudy skies. The youngest Queen was looking forward to spending the day with Jake and reconnecting with him. Although, a part of her thought that it was slightly strange of him to request she meet him where his father was layed to rest. Her memories of the funeral were vague, considering she wasn't there that long. She didn't really know his father beforehand, and she didn't want to intrude, despite the reassurances of his mother.

Jake never really mentioned his father around Thea, or any of the loved ones he'd lost. And in turn, she wouldn't bring up Oliver or her father. That was their deal, an unspoken promise to never open up old wounds that were inflicted upon by loss. They were each others escape for awhile. Until, somewhere along the way, the meaning of their relationship changed.

Through the hardships of their lives, they became closer and formed a close friendship. And as they got older, Jake found himself developing feelings for Thea, despite the petty arguments he would have with her every so often. He even became protective of her when she began her course of drug abuse.

Since he had been back, Thea had found herself reflecting on their relationship more than she did when he left. Her feelings about his departure had blindsided her on so many levels. The youngest Queen didn't expect to miss Jake as much as she did. She was more angry than anything in the beginning. She felt abandoned and betrayed, like what they had meant more to her than it did for him. In the end, it didn't take long for that anger to turn into sadness, guilt, and regret.

She found his tall form in front of his father's grave, his hands were stuffed in his jean pockets and his gaze was focused on the marble slant. A display of varying fresh flowers surrounded the gravestone.

He was quiet as Thea silently walked over to stand beside him. Another moment passed before he finally spoke up.

"This is the first time I've been here since I got back. Hell, I didn't even visit much before I left," Jake began, swallowing the lump in his throat before continuing.

"I figured I'd uh, tell you what happened the night he died. Y'know, since I already broke that promise in our last fight."

Thea frowned, shaking her head as she glanced at the gravestone in front of her, "You don't have to, Jake."

Jake finally turned away from the grave, facing Thea with his unguarded blue eyes, "I want to, Thea. I want to be able to talk about this with you. I'm not just that sarcastic asshole you considered a friend. We're both different people now. And I want to show you a side of me that you haven't seen."

He glanced down to the ground before inhaling a deep breath through his nose.

"I had just left a friends house for a party when I got a voicemail from Laurel telling me it was an emergency, and that I needed to come home. The last time Laurel sent me a message like that was after she found out that Sara was on the Gambit, so I knew that something was seriously wrong. There were at least 5 cop cars in front of the complex when I got back. My mom couldn't even look me in the eye without crying, and Laurel... She looks at me with teary eyes, shaking her head, and I knew that my dad was gone."

Jake paused, reaching up to thread a hand through his dyed curls as a wave of emotion hits him like car crash. All that's left after it dies down is anger, which in turn causes him to swallow hard and clench his fist. He wanted to punch something, but he couldn't. Not in front of Thea. So instead, under her watchful and concerned stare, he sighed deeply.

Now wasn't the time to physically release his frustration. Besides, he had plenty of time to vent later on during his meeting with a former "acquaintance".

"I just wish that he was _there_ more when I needed him, y'know? Instead of Benji coming over to help me with homework, or staying over at Laurel's when I was tired of being in an empty house for most of the day. My dad worked his ass off to make sure I was taken care of in the long run, but none of that really matters to me now."

In an attempt to calm Jake's fairly tense demeanor, Thea placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She watched him closely as he turned away from her, facing his father's grave once again.

"I'm not _**okay**_ Thea. I haven't been since he died. Honestly, I'm still as lost as I was when I left. And I don't know how to find my way out of the maze," Jake confessed with an empty look in his eyes as he turned away from the grave in front of him.

Thea felt her heart shatter into pieces as she noticed that his usual charming blue eyes were glazed over slightly, as if he was about to cry. She wasn't used to seeing him look so broken. The man that she currently stood beside wasn't _her_ Jake. Someone who never failed to make her laugh and smile. Someone who was always a text message away, even if he was pissed at her after one of their arguments. _Someone_ she took for granted back then, but not this time.

With a determined look on her face, Thea grabbed onto Jake's left hand, pulling him towards her, "It might seem impossible right now. And it will for a long time. But eventually, slowly, that feeling dulls. Slowly, you realize you're free, and that one event, no matter how powerful, doesn't tie you down forever. Moving on isn't forgetting, Jake. It's remembering to live."

Jake closed his eyes again with a deep sigh, releasing the tension from his body along with the long exhale. He understood Thea's words, be he couldn't _**fully** _ let go. Not after knowing the truth about his fathers killer.

"There's this guy that I used to know, dark hair, blue eyes. He was obsessed with baseball and martial arts. And he had a thing for beanies, Chuck Taylor's, and hoodies, "Thea paused with a soft giggle, noticing Jake's eye roll at the remark about his clothing style.

"He could be an obnoxious jerk sometimes, but he was always there when I needed to vent. He was special to me, and I miss him," she admitted with a warm smile and slightly flushed cheeks.

Facing Thea again, Jake flashed her a small smile that reached his eyes.

So much had happened to him while he was away. His rough experiences in Brazil had darkened him, exposing the savagery in his actions and shaping him into a hardened man. He became somewhat of a monster.

But, as Thea smiled his way with a bright gleam in her forest green eyes, Jake realized that maybe he wasn't the monster he saw himself as. Along with Laurel and his mother, maybe Thea could reveal the remaining light in him.

* * *

 **Starling City Police Department**

In a seated position, Quentin opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulls out a file. He closed the drawer afterwards with a deep exhale, scooting back up to his desk as he practically slaps down the bulky file in front of him. Thoughts plagued his mind as he studied the labeled cover with a glare. He remembered the countless nights he'd spend reviewing everything he could find on Phillippe Garmudela and the Santa Muerte. Those nights only progressed, turning into sleepless nights, after the death of Michael Hawthorne. Every single officer felt that loss at the station. But their feelings of sadness and grief could never hold a candle to the pain that Quentin felt.

Michael was more than a comrade during his years as a cop. Lance's friendship and mutual respect for the Lieutenant had only grown after his eldest daughter befriended Jake. This only escalated his feelings of guilt after Michael died and he couldn't do a thing to catch his killer. He searched for days, for _months._ And after he barely made a dent in the case, he was told to focus on current and more important cases from his superiors. By that point, Phillippe had fled the country, making it harder for him to be found.

Ever since then, Quentin always had a feeling that he would have to open this file again. That feeling only intensified after bodies started showing up in the Glades. Bodies with a skull shaped brand mark burned into their skin.

"Dad?"

Quentin looked up quickly, the apparent shock in his facial expression wore off in an instant and was replaced with a heartwarming smile at the sight of his eldest daughter.

"Hey sweetheart! Enjoy your little spa weekend?" The captain questioned, his smile widened a little bit as he covered the file in front of him with his large hand.

Unfortunately, this action didn't go unnoticed under Laurel's observant gaze. She had already glanced over to his desk once she walked in, quickly reading the label on the tan cover.

Crossing her arms, Laurel walked up to the desk with a sigh, "It's okay, Dad. Phillippe's dead. You don't need to keep beating yourself up over this."

She paused with a raised eyebrow, noticing her father's tense and anxious behavior, "There's something else, isn't there?"

Quentin sighed, closing his eyes briefly before running a tense hand over the top of his head, "A pair of bodies showed up in the Glades the morning you left. Two more showed up this morning out by the shipyard. All of them were members of the Santa Muerte."

In pure shock from the revelation, Laurel turned away from her father's gaze. A million thoughts overwhelmed her mind in less than a second. Along with an equal amount of negative emotions like anger and frustration. It takes her a few minutes to process this information. To realize that the man who was responsible for most of Jake's pain still had an influence, even in death.

This realization made the blonde vigilante **livid**.

Quentin watched as a look of anger flashed across his daughters face, before finally fizzling down to sadness. He understood her current feelings, especially since he felt the same way after he had found out. Jake was like the brother Laurel never knew she wanted, and his father's death was one of many things that inspired her to become an attorney.

This made it harder for Quentin. He had his suspicions when Jake had returned, but those small thoughts in the back of his head had quickly transformed into theories as soon as the bodies started appearing. And he couldn't ignore the possibility, no matter how hard he wanted to. It didn't matter that these men were criminals, _**monsters**. _ He was a cop, someone who fought for justice.

"There's more," The captain paused, clearing his throat before hesitantly meeting his daughters eyes.

"We still have a few more things to look for. But I... have my suspicions."

The serious, yet subtle look he gave Laurel was enough to convey what he was thinking. He didn't need to elaborate.

Almost immediately, the blonde attorney shook her head vehemently in an attempt to expel the mere thought from her brain, "No, _**No**. _ Dad, Jake would never- he's not capable of being a mass murderer! I can't believe that you think he did this!" Laurel exclaims with a disbelieving tone, crossing her arms.

"I don't want to believe it, Laurel. The kids practically family! But I can't just ignore the feeling. The detective in me just won't ignore the possibility, "Quentin paused again with another sigh.

"Jake left, sweetheart, for almost 4 years. He didn't contact anyone. Hell, he practically disappeared off the face of the earth! And then, all of a sudden, he pops up again. Blue hair, leather jacket, and a darker look in his eyes. I've seen that look before, in almost every criminal that I arrested for _murder._ Those men worked for the man who killed his father, he had more than enough reason."

Laurel shook her head again in disbelief, turning away from her father. She covered her face with her hands, bringing them up to rest against her forehead.

Her father had point, no one knew where Jake went or what he did during the last few years. Laurel didn't want to admit it, but he was somewhat of a stranger now. She knew right away when he visited her at her office. The goofy, sarcastic, and rebellious boy she once knew had changed. Almost like the way he was right before he left, but darker. Either way, she wasn't going to give up on him.

So, with her decision made, Laurel turned to her father with a determined glare. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor as she strutted towards his desk, grabbing the file, "He's innocent Dad, and I'm going to prove it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Big Belly Burger**

"My God," Jake moaned out, savoring the last bite of his triple cheese burger. He wiped at the mayonnaise from the corner of his mouth with a napkin before crumpling it up with the burger wrapper, "I haven't had a burger like _that_ in awhile."

From across the table, Thea took a sip of her strawberry milkshake before sending Jake a teasing smile, "Yeah, there really is no other place like **_Triple B_**."

Jake shook his head with a grin at the old nickname he would use when referring to Big Belly Burger.

A bout of silence filled the air, giving Thea time to take in Jake's presence.

She couldn't stop staring quizzically at the man facing her. She had observed his behavior during the last few hours of them exploring the city, reminiscing in old spots and checking out new ones. Watching as he would shove his hands into his pockets as they walked and bite his upper lip if he was confused or plagued by his thoughts. She was testing him, and so far, he seemed to be passing with flying colors. He showed signs of being the Jake she remembered with that goofy, childlike grin of his. A grin that had always managed to reach his eyes, no matter the circumstance. But in a way that somewhat confused her, he still felt like a stranger.

"Where were you the last few years?" The emerald eyed brunette asked, biting her lower lip.

Jake gulped down a small breath in response, turning towards the window on his left. He watched the cars blur by in mild interest as he gave his thoughts his undivided attention. Moments later, he faced Thea again with his mind made up on what to say.

"I've practically been all over the eastern parts of South America, but I spent more time in Brazil," he paused, leaning forward onto the table with crossed arms. His deep blue eyes lock onto Thea, who watched him attentively.

"It was fun being in the big city. Parties, the culture, it was definitely one of my top pics for an escape. I made a few friends along the way," A smile found its way along the lines of his lips as he recalled the good moments of his experience in Brazil.

Thea leaned back into their shared booth with crossed arms. She recognized that signature smirk-like smile of his, "Who was she?"

A soft chuckle escaped Jakes lips as he shook his head, "That obvious, huh?"

He exhaled through his nose before continuing.

"Her name was Maia. Brunette, blue eyes. She was one hell of a spitfire. Basically me, but female and triple the attitude if you got on her bad side."

"Yeah, like we need another _you."_ Thea retorted sarcastically with a small smirk before dodging away from the french fry that was chucked at her face.

"Hey. I'm just saying," she raised her hands up in a placating manner, another smirk gracing her lips, "It's good to see your taste in women hasn't changed."

Jake scoffed in return, sending the youngest Queen a playful glare.

"Last I checked, my taste in women was way better than your taste in men. Unlike you, I wasn't into rich and pretty faces."

Before Thea could retort back, her cellphone chimed in her purse, interrupting their banter. She quickly apologized before reaching in to grab it. As she answered the call, Jake took the time to check his own cellphone.

Once she ends the call, Thea stuffed her phone back into her purse before offering Jake an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that. It was just Ollie reminding me to meet him later. I'm helping him with his mayoral campaign."

Jake nearly choked on the last sip of his cherry Mountain Dew in surprise. Swallowing the red colored soft drink, he slid the paper cup away before turning to Thea with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"Oliver's running for mayor?" He questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, I still can't believe it. I honestly thought he was joking this morning when he told me," Thea shook her head, her lips curling up in amusement.

"It'd be interesting to see how he does. I never really pegged him as a political figure," Jake paused briefly, narrowing his eyes as he tried to find the right words.

"Oliver seems more responsible than I remember. Being stranded on an island, miles away from home... I can tell it changed him. Maybe for the better, y'know, since he wants to run this city. Make things better."

Thea nodded her head slowly, looking away from Jake momentarily as her thoughts drifted over to her beloved brother.

Oliver had suffered through so much during his stay in Purgatory, some of which he had yet to reveal to her. She understood why, but a part of her wished that he would share his pain with her. She loved him, and as his sister, she wanted to help him.

His role as the famed Green Arrow had seemed to help him cope with what happened to him. However, he couldn't possibly wear the emerald hood forever. Maybe that's why he proposed the idea of running for mayor this morning.

"It's too bad I'm not into politics. He would've had my vote," Jake continued, giving Thea a goofy smile in an attempt to lighten the semi battered mood. He frowned with a silent sigh, realizing that it didn't work. She still had that somber, yet thoughtful look on her face.

He understood her sadness and grief, but he hated seeing her look so empty, even if it was only for a few seconds. Fortunately, his desire to make her smile had still existed. He was too stubborn and determined to allow even a fraction of a frown to grace her lips.

His deep blue eyes lit up suddenly as an idea crossed his mind.

"Y'know, I never really watched T.V. in Brazil. When I did, they always had on the football tournaments. So, I never got to watch any of the new Harry Potter movies. What do you say we pull an all-nighter so that I can catch up? I can pick them up on the way. Hell, I'll even bring my Gryffindor hoodie. It wouldn't be the same without it, am I right?"

The youngest Queen giggled softly, shaking her head as she looked up to face Jake with a small smile. Her smile had quickly widened at the sight of his familiar boyish grin, an expression he had only ever seemed to use on her. Seeing it again made her heart melt like snow on a hot day.

She reached over to grab his outstretched hand over the decorated table, her smile replaced with a knowing smirk, "In that case, I'll be wearing my Slytherin pajamas."

Jake chuckled, flashing her another grin, "Awesome."

* * *

With a deep exhale, Jake roughly lowered a bag down onto his bed. He was currently packing an overnight bag, which wasn't that hard considering the fact that he never really unpacked most of the things he brought home. All he did was take a set of clothes, including his worn out Gryffindor hoodie, from the duffel bag that currently secured the daily essentials he used while on his way back to Star City. Besides packing and unpacking, he was also preparing himself for his meeting with Nigel, his former acquaintance... and friend. Unfortunately that conversation wasn't the only one he needed preparation for.

Since he had been back, Jake never really took the time to notice anything new around the apartment he grew up in. He didn't pay attention to the pantry that was stocked with more alcohol than he remembered. He never noticed that the small recliner over by the T.V in the living room was filled with blankets and a pillow, as if someone had been sleeping there for awhile. He never realized that most of his father's belongings were now stuffed in a closet down the small hallway near his bedroom. Most importantly, he never noticed the eviction letters that were sloppily covered on the kitchen island.

His parents always had issues with money, that's one of the main reasons why they worked as hard as they did. Extra shifts at Starling General, longer hours at the police station. Hell, even Jake pitched in at the nearby boxing gym with his uncle before he left for the military. That hard work had seemed to pay off after awhile, at least until Benji disappeared. Everything went to shit afterwards, especially following the death of Jake's father.

Now that Jake noticed all of these little changes, it made him realize that his mother sold his fathers blue truck. He didn't see it in the parking lot when he returned last Wednesday. She had done the same thing with Benji's Mustang after he went A.W.O.L, but that was after they assumed he died. Jake figured she did the same with the old truck he had always borrowed. But now, he believed that she sold it for extra cash.

These sudden realizations had only made him feel worse about leaving his home, his _**mother**. _ She was the only biological family that he had left behind when he left. And despite the resentment he felt towards her for not being there for nearly half his childhood, and after his father's death, he never stopped caring. He could _ **never**_ hate her no matter how hard he tried at times. She was his mom after all, the only person besides his father who loved him unconditionally.

With his calloused hands, Jake rummaged frustratingly through the black duffel bag on the floor. He practically clawed his way through a few flannel shirts before stopping suddenly. His hands were frozen in mid-air along with his gaze, which was set on a journal-like book. Not long after, he snatches it from its place at the bottom of the bag in pure shock. His fingers gripped onto the leather bounded covering tightly as his thoughts drift off to the contents of the book.

Almost every page in the journal documented his time in Brazil. Dated entries were filled with his daily thoughts. Numbered pages were filled with tales of important events, events that ultimately shaped him into the man he was today. Some of them were filled up with lighthearted moments and fun adventures.

Jake stood up slowly, his gaze was still glued to the now opened journal in his grasp. While using his right hand to turn the pages, he skimmed over a few pages before stopping on a particular one. He smiled faintly, remembering the day perfectly.

 ** _2012_**

 ** _Ilha Grande Forest, Brazil_**

" _So, how does it feel to be old enough to drink?" Jake questioned with crossed arms as he stood near the side of a small clearing. The grass and leaves rustled around him with the warm, refreshing breeze as he watched the figure ahead of him practice her archery._

 _Maia took a deep breath, drawing back the string of her longbow. The question that was directed to her was momentarily ignored as she focused on the target in front her with narrowed eyes. Less than a second later, she released her grip, allowing the arrow to pierce the red center of the wooden round._

 _She then exhaled, lowering the bow in her right hand to her side before turning to Jake with a thoughtful look on her face._

 _"Honestly? I don't feel any different than when I turned eighteen. I used to think it was strange that I didn't feel older before," She paused, glancing down to her bare feet._

 _"Now, I think I never felt older on my birthday because... I already felt that way. Every year, I feel less and less like a kid and more like an adult. Its been that way ever since I can remember, or at least until my grandfather got sick," Maia admitted with a frown and doleful eyes. She_ _quickly averted her gaze away from the American young man, turning back to the target with a focused glare._

 _While she prepared to fire another arrow, Jake watched her quietly with furrowed eyebrows_ _as his thoughts drifted over to the events of this past week. Like Maia, he had been pretty stressed the past few days, which was understandable considering the current situation. During the last few weeks of every month or so, members of the Santa Muerte would work to expand their brand in other parts of South America. Like cities in Columbia or Peru for example. And since Jake was now a rookie hitman thanks to Phillippe, the pressure to succeed had pinned him against a corner. The tense transition he had suffered through when he first came to Brazil had seemed to be a cakewalk compared now, especially with Paolo practically breathing down his neck._

 _The only thing that made Jake comfortable with his new life was spending time or sneaking away with Maia._ _With her help, he had a fairly smooth time working for a drug dealer. In fact, with her by his side the last four months, he thrived in the gang. After his initiation, he spent the first two months as a supplier. Then, he was promoted to a "Falcon",_ _supervising and reporting the activities of the police and the military. Once he was promoted to a hitman in the beginning of July, he was allowed to have more long term privileges._

 _He was able to earn his living, prove his worth, and gain most of the Brazilian drug lords trust. As a result of his trials, Jake now had more freedom to explore and enjoy everything Brazil had to offer. When he wasn't working, of course._ _Instead of sleeping on the cold floor of Phillippe's warehouses, for example, Jake_ _had attained his own place. A fairly large space was reserved for him in the upper floor of a bar that his Brazilian boss had owned_ _. Before it was transformed into a bedroom with a mini fridge, the area had been a mix between a storage room and a lounge._

 _His relationship with Maia had also progressed significantly since their night during Carnival. The casual flirting between them had intensified, and special moments had occurred the longer they had spent time together. Like whenever they'd spar for a few hours of the day, and she would tackle Jake to the ground and pin him to the floor. A nervous smile would find its way along the lines of his lips, and his heart would feel like it was pounding out of his chest. Then, a vicious smirk would grace Maia's lips in amusement as she would occasionally feel his erection press up against her. During a moment like this, Jake had always felt the urge to kiss her. Unfortunately, he never got that far with her._ _He wanted to, his desire and interest was never the issue. It was the little doubts and questions in the back of his head regarding her past with the Garmudela brothers._

 _Jake still didn't completely trust her. Which was somewhat strange considering he felt comfortable enough to_ _spend the majority of the last few months with her. At first, he figured he couldn't fully trust her because she never really spoke of her family. That thought was dissolved once she brought her up her grandfather during a conversation, which was about a month after she met him. He had only gotten more confused once Maia began to open up more on her personal life. And now, the tangled mess of his thoughts of her had only worsened._

 _Maybe it wasn't about Maia at all, or anything that involved her. Maybe his mixed feelings towards her had been misdirected in some way, and Philippe was the true culprit of his_ _incomplete trust. The Brazilian drug lord was responsible for the death of his father after all. That fact was enough reason alone._

 _Maia walked over to the target that stood in front of a large tree, its green canopy momentarily offered her shade from the blistering sunlight as she retrieved her arrows._ _With_ _them secured in the leather quiver strapped over her left shoulder, the female archer strides over to Jake. He had now stood beside another tree off to the side, his bare arms were still crossed firmly against his chest._ _During her stride, she caught a pair of eyes on her. Deep blue eyes that had seemed to be focused on her for quite sometime now._

 _Amused, she smirked,_ _"See something you like?"_

 _"Yeah. I do actually," Jake paused and uncrossed his arms, gesturing to the green all around him._

 _"Pretty peaceful spot to think, I see why you come out here. You could just sit right there,_ _and stare up at the sky," he pointed to the open space of grassland in the center of the clearing in emphasis and glanced up towards the clear skies above._

 _Despite the truth in his words, Jake wasn't all that focused on his surroundings in that moment. How could he when the exotically beautiful girl that he had been watching since they had left Salvador this morning_ , _had now stood merely three feet away from him?_

 _"It's a nice spot to relax, when I'm not training," Maia replied in a matter of fact manner, squatting down to the ground._

 _She reached into the leather book bag that stood against the trunk of the tree, pulling out a canteen filled with fresh water. Once its opened, she took a few gulps of the cold beverage while standing up._ _Afterwards_ , s _he wiped at the wetness in the corner of her mouth before glancing down to her watch._

 _"Looks like we still have some time before_ _we head up to my grandfathers cabin," she_ _paused, turning to Jake with a small grin,_ _"And I know a **perfect** way to kill time. We could play one of those social games you Americans like to play."_

 _Jake let out an amused snort before nodding in approval, "Okay birthday girl. Your day, your rules. But "Truth or Dare" is out of the question since we don't have any alcohol."_

 _"Of course, wouldn't be the same without it," Maia replied, her grin shifting into a teasing smile before taking a seat besides the large tree that hovered over them. She gently leaned into the rough bark with her upper back as Jake plopped down beside her. His arm gently brushed up against her right shoulder as he slid down to the terrain beneath them._

 _"I was thinking we could just ask each other questions. Don't take this the wrong way, but as much as I like hanging around you, I still don't really **know** you."_

 _A small laugh escaped Jake's lips before he turned to face the girl next to him, "I get it. And in that case, you can start us off. Ask away, birthday girl."_

 _Maia turned to Jake, her pale blue eyes were narrowed slightly as she eyed him carefully. It's silent for a few moments as she looked him over a few times, her gaze darting back in forth between the torn black t-shirt clinging to his upper body and his patient gaze. Finally, her gaze settled back onto his freckled face._

 _"What's it like having a mom?"_

 _Taken aback by her serious question,_ _it was Jake's turn to stay silent as he averted his gaze from her. With his eyes focused on the sky above, watching as a pair of stratocumulus clouds disguise the sun, his thoughts drifted over to his strained relationship his mother._

 _For as long as he's lived, Jake had known his mother to be extremely hardworking. Whether it involved a hobby, her passion in medicine, or even in her marriage, she never strayed away from her goals. That admirable trait had still remained strong once she had brought her son into the world. Unfortunately, her goal to ensure the best possible life for her boy had soon overpowered her desire to spend time with him._

 _Tearing his gaze away from the sky, Jake finally turned to Maia, his eyebrows furrowing._

 _"Honestly? Its not something you can describe in words. I'm not really good with words anyway," he paused, glancing up towards the sky._

 _"But, I can tell you that I miss her. Among other things, I've thought about her every day since I left. And despite all the times she's chosen work over spending time with me, I'd never trade her. Not for anything,"_ _Jake admitted with a faint smile on his lips._

 _Maia nodded her head in understanding before looking down to her lap._

 _"I never knew my mother, she left when I was barely a year old. My grandfather never told me much about her until my 18th birthday," s_ _he paused, letting out a dry laugh._

 _"Get this. Apparently, when she was around my age, maybe like at 19, she met a man who changed her life. A tall, blue eyed American with a million dollar smile. He swept her off her feet literally the day he met her!"_

 _A genuine laugh escaped her this time, and Jake can't help the amused snort that escaped him._

 _"Out of all the things I inherited from her, taste in guys_ _just **had** to be one," Maia continued, another bout of laughter spewing from her before stopping abruptly. _

_The realization in what she had just said doesn't hit her until too late._ _Less than a minute later, she quickly turned away from the American, blue eyed young man with wide eyes._

 _Jake stared at her for a moment in shock at her unexpected revelation, the 'O' shape that his mouth had formed into was quickly replaced with a smug smirk._

 _"It all makes perfect sense now..." he began._

 _Maia gave him a heated glare, challenging him to continue as a small blush crept up on her cheeks._

 _Since he was never known to back down from a **challenge** , Jake opted to continue with his merciless taunts._

 _"The "casual" flirting almost everyday, those moments when we'd spar and you'd get a little **too** close to-"_

 _"Shut up," she growled out, cutting him off. She cursed inwardly as the redness in her cheeks continued to spread._

 _"What? You didn't think I noticed those looks you'd give me when I'd take my shirt off on a blistering hot day?" Jake motioned toward his firm abdomen in emphasis._

 _Make softened her glare, rolling her eyes._

 _"You should ease up on the ego, it's not a good look on you. And honestly..." she trailed off, giving the young man beside her a quick inspection with her eyes._

 _"You're not all that. I've seen better looking guys."_

 _"Doesn't change the fact that you like me,"_ _Jake retorted with a snort, unf_ _azed by her weightless insult._

 _Maia was quiet as she stared at Jake with a blank expression on her face. Moments later, she flashed him a suspicious smile._

 _Suddenly, without warning, she leaned into him. Her lips connected to his within the span of seconds._

 _It doesn't take long for Jake to get over his initial shock as he passionately reciprocated the fervent movements of her soft lips against his. Letting out a brief moan, he lifted a hand up to caress the beige skin of Maia's cheek as he pulled her closer with his free arm. Soon, she's hoisted onto his lap, and her fingers thread through his messy curls as they indulged in each other's heated embrace._

 _After what seemed like an eternity of eagerly exploring her mouth, Jake pulled away. He gasped slightly, a wide smirk spreading across his face, "_ _I knew it."_

 _Once Maia breathed in some air for herself, she rolled her eyes and scoffed at his smugness._

 _"The way I see it," she paused to spare a glance to her watch. "We could spend these last few minutes wisely and have some **fun**..." She trailed off, biting her bottom lip seductively before leaning in to press a firm kiss to Jake's lips. Then, she ran a hand down his stomach, beginning with the center of his strong chest. _

_"Or, you could waste the time we have left. And you can continue to turn me off with your ego," she finished with narrowed eyes, trying desperately to disguise the amused smirk that had begun to spread on her lips._

 _A hearty chuckle spilled from Jake._

 _"You love my ego."_

 **PRESENT DAY**

Jakes gaze settled on the opened journal in his grasp for a moment longer before a heavy sigh escaped his lips, and the leatherback book closed with a soft clap as the pages come together once again.

"Where are you, M? Something's up...I know it. I know **you** ," he muttered quietly, a small frown forming on his lips. The fingers from his right hand found its way to the Damascus steel pendant hanging from the black cord around his neck. They gently trace over the flame like symbol that was carved on the back.

* * *

 **Arrowcave**

"Hello? Anyone home...?" Laurel called out as she entered the seemingly vacant cave. The steel elevator doors closed behind her, and the elevator itself began its ascent towards the upper floors.

She let out a low sigh as she realized she's alone and stepped further into the cave.

Out of all the frustrating and mentally exhausting days she's had this past year, today had mercilessly taken the cake. Getting the news that Jake, someone she considered a little brother, was a possible murderer had blindsided her. But it wasn't enough to challenge her sanity. Witnessing her beloved father draw a gun on her recently resurrected little sister, however, had just about pushed her over the edge. Especially after Sara had broken out of her confinements and attacked two women with green eyes and short, dark hair.

A part of Laurel couldn't help but find their similar interest in trouble amusing. In her eyes, Jake and Sara were poster children for trouble and rebellion. They were drawn to it like a moth was drawn to a flame. Especially Jake, who had proven to be more of a challenge than the youngest Lance.

Looking back on her memories with Jake, Laurel recalled seeing her little sister in the rebellious boy she had grown to consider family. His antics resembled hers at first: sneaking off to parties at night, skipping school, **fighting**. As he grew into a young man, and he had just began to grasp the concept of loss once Sara and Benji disappeared, the charm in his antics had began to fade. The loss of that playful charm in his behavior had only quickened once his father died 6 years later.

When Jake had suggested his departure after months of things getting progressively worse, Laurel was against the idea as she pleaded with him to stay. She was still convinced that she could help him, just as she did when they had first met. And after what happened with Sara, she wasn't ready to lose him yet. She couldn't bear to lose another sibling. But after Jake had told her that she could **never** lose him, and that leaving for awhile was the best thing for him at the time, she realized that she had to let him go. He needed to be free, to heal and grow on his own accord, away from everyone else.

Back then, that truth was a hard pill for the blonde to swallow. Now, a much harder truth had revealed itself to her. Jake, the young man she had considered family and had tried so hard to teach and protect, was now a suspect in an unsolved murder. A murder that involved six members of the Santa Muerte, men who worked for the man who murdered his father. This truth had been one that she tried to ignore at first. But as the day went on, and she had inadvertently processed the news during her daily activities, the logical side of her had began to consider the idea. Much to her emotional sides dismay.

As soon Laurel considered all the information she currently knew, she realized that the only way to help Jake now was to prove his innocence, and defend him in court if it came to it. But first, she needed to release the pent up tension that had grown since her discovery. So, with the duffel bag filled with gym clothes on her left shoulder, she treks over to her area stationed to the far right corner of the cave. However, as she takes a shortcut through the center of the cave, her movements are suddenly reduced to a halt as she nearly passed Felicity's large array of computers. Her shocked gaze was now focused on a specific piece of paper that stuck out from underneath a stack of papers.

 **A photograph of Jake's face.**

She leaned into the desk and snatched the paper from its trapped position underneath the stack. Her shock quickly faded, disappearing into disbelief as she skimmed over the words on the paper. Once she's finished reading the supposed information on Jake, her grip tightened, creating wrinkles in the paper. She scowled, anger finally filling her core. Laurel couldn't believe this.

After chewing her out for bringing Sara back without his knowledge, Oliver had the audacity to keep something like this from her. How dare he criticize her for involving Thea, for endangering his sister, when he was doing the same to Jake without her knowledge. The **_nerve_** of that bastard.

The elevator doors open suddenly, which prompts Laurel to turn around as Oliver enters the cave.

 _Speak of the devil._

Oliver glanced up to to Laurel as he walked in, his phone in his grasp, "There was another attack in the city. We need to find Sara before she-" he paused, meeting the blonde vigilantes heated gaze.

He cleared his throat, glancing over to the paper that was scrunched up in her grasp. It didn't take him long to find the source of Laurel's anger. He turned to her with a straight face and steely blue eyes moments after, masking his current emotions.

* * *

From his crouched position on the rooftop, a hooded Jake surveyed the building from across the abandoned street with narrowed eyes. Before, he was just about to head out to Laurel's apartment for his movie night with Thea when he had gotten a distressed call from Nigel. The amateur drug dealer had sounded high out of his mind as he slurred out his words to him, telling him to hurry over. Apparently, a trio of armed soldiers had stormed into his hideout, and the Brazilian junkie was adamantly convinced that they've been searching for him for quite some time.

For the past 2 years, Nigel had been hiding out in an abandoned, three story apartment building in the Glades. It stood in a ghost town of an area that had previously housed the "Top Dogs" of the drug trade in Starling City, until the Undertaking devastated the neighborhood. This particular area was also a familiar spot for Jake. Whenever he needed a solo escape, he'd sneak over to the littered streets of "Paraíso das Morte". That was where he met Nigel, a pot smoking drug dealer in training that could never keep his mouth shut. Despite his endless chatter, Jake had always valued his company and his friendship. Unfortunately, that all changed after he had found out that the Brazilian chatterbox had been a spy for Phillippe, feeding the Brazilian drug lord information on him. Specifically his background as a trained mixed martial artist.

Fortunately for Nigel, Jake needed him alive, at least for the time being. Since the pot-smoking chatterbox had previously worked for the younger Garmudela brother closely, he was the only living member of the Santa Muerte who had knowledge of actual evidence that suggested the involvement of Malcom Merlyn in his father's murder. This was why he had contacted him as soon as he left Brazil, why this meeting was so important. He needed this, and he didn't care if he had to slaughter a bunch of soldiers to get it.

His gaze was settled across the street, and he watched as one soldier continued to stand beside the back of a large armored Hummer that was parked in front of the building. Once he got a good look of the area in front of him, he inched along to the edge of the roof in search of the ladder he had used to get up. He found it quickly, sliding down to the ground before he quietly made his way across the street. He was like a shadow as he moved along the left side, sticking to the darkness and avoiding the street lights as he slipped over to the side of the armored four wheeler.

Suddenly, a gunshot was heard from the third floor of the apartment building, followed by a loud bang.

"The hell?" The soldier uttered quietly through his thin, gray face mask as he stepped away from the Hummer. Before he could make another move or produce a thought, he was suddenly pulled backwards by a gloved hand that placed itself against his mouth.

With the guard subdued in his grip, Jake drew the Kukri machete from his lower back and stabbed the soldier in his left armpit, piercing through his heart. Dark blood spewed out from the entry wound as the Damascus Steel blade was roughly removed, and the soldiers still body slipped to the ground with a thud.

Jake stared at the shoulder of the bloodied body for a moment, his blue eyes scan over the word "H.I.V.E" that was stitched into the camouflage fabric. As he thought about the familiar name, he stepped away from the body and darted to the door of the apartment building.

 ** _Inside_**

"I should put a bullet in your skull. Lucky for you, my boss needs you alive," The bearded soldier grunted out as he pulled the last shard of metal from his outer thigh, his assault rifle trained on the crafty man in front of him. A small scoff escaped him as he looked around the disheveled bedroom. His gaze passing the small lamp that was situated on a bedside table, which was currently the only source of light nearby. Nails and shards of metal scattered the carpeted floors, some of which had impaled the plaster walls during the blast.

His eyes then settle back on the Brazilian junkie that was seated on the foot of an unmade bed. He watched as the junkie clutched his wounded shoulder. Moments later, the bearded guard trudged over to grab his target. However, his movements are halted as a string of gunshots ring out in the hallway, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.

A sudden chuckle from behind him startled the guard out of his tension.

"I already told you, Cabrão. Death is a dear friend of mine."

The bearded soldier growled, pointing his assault rifle towards the opened bedroom door.

Seconds later, a hooded Jake rushed in through the darkness and charged at the soldier. He's the first to attack, swinging his machete as the soldier jumped back. He swung his blade again at the soldiers head, who ducked in response, evading Jake's attack before tackling him into the desk by the window. Jake let out a small grunt of pain as his lower back collides with the sharp corner of the desk. His grip on his bladed weapon slackened in the process as it clattered to the floor.

Both men struggled for a moment as they grappled for control, until Jake was able to free one of his arms. He pushed the man off of him and threw a puncha that was parried by the soldier, who in turn spun around and swung a punch towards Jake's abdomen. But he dodged away from the strike and kicked the soldier in his shin, causing him to stumble into a kneel. Taking advantage of the upper hand he now had, Jake delivered a right hook to the soldiers jaw.

Jake hammered his fists into the man's face with a few more heavy handed strikes before he stepped back to retrieve his bladed weapon. He turned back to the soldier with a huff and prepared to strike.

"We found the girl... Maia..."

Jake froze, "... How do you know that name?"

An amused chuckle escaped the bloodied soldier, which prompted Jake to practically rip him from his spot on the floor, his grip tightening around the fabric of his armored vest.

"How. Do. You. Know. That. Name?" Jake reiterated through gritted teeth as he rested the sharp point of his bloodied machete against the soldiers jugular.

He snarled as the man in his grasp sported a wide smirk, which could be seen clearly in the dimly lit room.

"Its too late, my boss already knows her location. And soon, he'll finally get what was wrongfully taken from him."

Jake growled in frustration, his grip on both the soldier and his blade was still firm as he considered his options. He wanted him dead. Hell, at this point, he wanted every soldier from H.I.V.E dead just because they pissed him off. But his instincts, his **gut** , prevented him from acting on his heated emotions.

These soldiers were the same men who had attacked Maia. They were hunting her, and Jake needed to know why and get to her before they attacked again. He needed to approach this situation with a rational mindset, no matter how much he wanted to kill the man in his grasp.

So, with his mind made up, Jake singlehandedly pivoted the weapon in his hand before slamming the wooden pommel of it into the soldiers exposed head. He then turned away from the now unconscious man to face Nigel, who eyed him with wide eyes.

"You shoulda killed him man, he works for the Devil. They're hunting us like cattle."

"The hell are you talking about?" Jake questioned with an annoyed glare.

"They're DEMONS J! I'm telling you," the Brazilian junkie pointed to the unconscious H.I.V.E soldier.

"They hunt for anyone with OUR brandmark. And after they're finished, they'll bring Hell to this god forsaken city. I swear man, it's like the Undertaking all over again. We gotta- shit man- we-"

The Brazilians manic rambling is interrupted by an aggravated Jake, who backhanded him in the mouth.

"Ow, Jake, what the fuck man!?"

"That's for being high at a time like this," Jake began with a pointed look before proceeding to punch Nigel in the arm.

"That's for interrupting my plans for the night. And this," He paused, pulling Nigel close by the back of his wounded shoulder as he shot him a deadly, bone shaking glare, "Is for stabbing me in the back with Phillippe."

Nigel hissed as the pressure on his right shoulder increased. The pain was unbearable, but the Brazilian junkie ignored the searing burn as he mustered up the strength to speak.

"Look J, I fucked up. Okay? But listen, I worked closely with him, and I think he might've left some stuff behind. Stuff that has info on who hired him. I got access to the-" he yelped, closing his eyes as the grip on his wounded shoulder tightened up some, before it slackened all together.

Jake stepped away from the frazzled Brazilian, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Nigel's frightened state.

"I'm not gonna kill you."

Nigel cracked one eye open and gave Jake an incredulous look, "... Really?"

Jake nodded his head in confirmation, stepping further away from the Brazilian and towards the opened door of the bedroom.

"Of course. You have information I want to hear. But not tonight. I've got somewhere I need to be, and you need to get that shoulder patched up before you drop dead from blood loss."

Nigel let a relieved breath and turned towards the ceiling above him. His eyes close for a brief moment as he silently thanked God for sparing his life once again.

Before his exit, Jake turned back around, sparing a glance towards the unconscious soldier on the floor.

"Tie him up and sedate him for now. I need him alive," he instructed with finality in his tone before vanishing into the dark abyss of the hallway.

* * *

 **Later that night...**

"Sorry I'm late, traffic kicked my ass on the way here," Jake chuckled, stepping into the familiar space that was Laurel's apartment.

He smiled as bubbly laughter filled the air behind him, followed by the sound of the front door closing.

"No, worries. You gave me enough time to get creative with desert," Thea returned Jake's smile, brushing past his tall form clad in her Slytherin pajamas. She passed him in a flash of green as she trudged towards the living room.

Jake chuckled again before he followed the youngest Queen as she led him further into the small living space, passing the dining room. Familiar objects catch his eye during the short trek, such as photographs that covered the walls and a clay bowl that he had made Laurel.

"Damn, Queen. You really went all out, huh?" Jake teased with an amused smirk when they arrive in the living room, side by side. His deep blue eyes darted over to the wooden table top that was nearly covered with a bucket of caramel corn, chocolate, and an assortment of sour candy. A fancy bottle of red wine stood off to the side, paired with two crystal glasses.

A sheepish smile graced Thea's lips as she smoothed a lock of her short, dark hair behind her ear, "Yeah. I kinda got a little carried away. I knew you liked sour candy, and I couldn't find the warheads, so I just got a bunch of the Airhead X-tremes and Sour Patch Kids."

Jake smiled once again, glancing over to the candy filled table before he turned to the brunette beside him. His expression turned into an amused grin, watching as her cheeks flush a deep red under his amused gaze.

"Candy and wine... sounds like a perfect combo to me. This way, we won't have trouble staying awake during the-" he paused, sparing a glance to the set of Harry Potter movies in the crook of his armpit.

"Nineteen hours and thirty-eight minutes. Looks like we're set for an all nighter."

Thea snorted out a laugh before offering Jake another smile.

"You left some things behind in the spare bedroom. I put them in a box when I moved in," She reached to take the set of movies from Jake, who in turn gave her a suspicious look.

He didn't remember leaving anything behind.

"Really?" he asked incredulously.

Thea nodded, her smile widening.

Jake stared her down with narrowed eyes for a few moments. Afterwards, he scoffed and shook his head, turning to the direction of the spare bedroom that was to the left of the dining room, "Fine, I'll play. This better not be a prank, Queen."

"Only one way to find out, " Thea retorted, nudging Jakes shoulder with her own before she made her way over toward the T.V.

As she began to operate the DVD player, Jake left the living room and strolled over to the spare bedroom.

When he was in front of the room, he nudged the cracked door open with his shoulder since his hands were shoved into the pockets of his black joggers. A few moments pass as he stood in the doorway, his deep blue eyes wandered over the small space he considered a safe haven before he finally stepped in. He walked over to the left corner of the room as he immediately found the opened cardboard box with his name secured at the bottom row of a book shelf. Lowering himself down to the floor in a crouch, he pulled the box out slightly from its spot, and the contents of it are exposed to his curious gaze.

A faint smile found its way along the lines of his lips as he reached inside the box. His fingers graze over the black fabric of his numbered baseball jersey, and he was immediately hit with memories of his days as a third baseman in high school. The old, blue Polaroid camera that peeked out from underneath the jersey reminded him of his photography phase in sophomore year.

A few minutes pass as he continued to search through his pile of belongings before he stopped suddenly. At the bottom of the box, underneath all of his personal items, were two letters. One was sealed and addressed to himself, and the other had been opened and was addressed to Thea. Jake had recognized the last enveloped message, the handwriting on the front had been his after all.

Clearing his throat, Jake grabbed the letter that was addressed to him. He silently read his name on the front, familiarizing himself with the youngest Queen's handwriting.

Suddenly, a loud crash is heard from outside the room, and Jake immediately turned to the opened bedroom door. The note that was addressed to him was soon forgotten as he stood up quickly. His heart hammered rapidly in his chest as one word, one name had consumed his thoughts _: **Thea**._

"Thea?!" He exclaimed, charging out of the room. The dining room blurred past him as he sprinted towards the living room.

The area was disheveled when he got there. The couch was upside down, broken glass had scattered the floors, and the front door was wide open, as if someone had broken in. The living rooms condition was ignored, however, as Jake pulled out his butterfly knife with a glare. He clenched his teeth at the sight before him.

A frazzled Thea was pinned to the floor by a robed figure with wild blonde hair, who held her tightly by her throat.

"Look, I don't know who the fuck you are. But I'm going give you five seconds to get off of her," Jakes grip tightened around the Damascus Steel butterfly knife in his hand as he approached the robed figure from behind.

"Jake... don't.." Thea choked out with wide eyes, glancing over to the glass shard that was merely inches away from her left side.

The robed figure let out a primal growl before she turned around, uttering something in Arabic.

Jake's movements were reduced to halt as he faced the robed figure with shocked eyes. He recognized those wild electric blue eyes, even with the milky filter that now covered them.

"Sara...?"

The blonde figure in question tilted her head to the side in response, her grip on Thea's throat slackening just a bit as she continued muttering words in Arabic.

"Yeah, it's me. Jake..." He trailed off, watching as the blonde figure continued to stare at him.

Jake takes a second to recollect himself before he speaks, ignoring his confusion and shock at the situation.

"I don't know what happened, Sara. But I know you, okay. And this," he turned to Thea, eyeing her with a knowing look as she quietly reached for the glass shard.

"Isn't you. No matter what happened," he finished, his voice softening with each word.

With the shard finally in her grasp, Thea took the opportunity to strike. She hit Sara in the side of her face with the shard, the point cutting into her right cheek as she was shoved off to the side. With a groan, the youngest Queen quickly stood up from the ground. She limped slightly towards Jake, who gently rushed her out of the apartment and down the flight of stairs nearby.

The pair's steps are hurried as they descended down the stairwell, and their pace quickened once they heard thundering footsteps above them. As soon as they reach the last flight, Thea stumbled on the last step and bumped up against the door on the left side, which opened slightly as her elbow pressed into the horizontal crash bar in the center. She repressed the urge to groan in pain as Jake quietly pulled her away from the door, leading her over to the space underneath the steps as a feral Sara charged down the last flight.

From her position behind Jake, who shielded her with his large form, Thea watched with baited breath as Sara stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, before charging through the exit door with a huff.

Once the coast was clear, Thea sighed in relief before turning to Jake, who stared at her with his piercing gaze. It felt as though time slowed down around them as they shared each other's gaze. After a few moments, puzzlement filled the youngest Queen as she glanced to her hands, which had somehow found their way pressed against Jake's firm chest. She met his intense gaze once again as the question of how they got there wandered over to the back of her mind.

Jake was silent as he looked Thea over, studying the bruises that decorated her neck and left eye. His deep blue eyes flash in anger and confusion before finally fizzling down to worry.

"Jake. Hey, I'm okay," she attempted to reassure him, her hand moving to cup the back of his neck.

He only blinked, lifting a hand to cup the side of her face. He swallowed thickly as his rough fingers moved up to the area around her left eye, gently tracing over the purple skin there.

* * *

 _ **A/N: As always, feel free to let me know what you think. Since I think I suck at writing action scenes, you guys are free to criticize them. Please do, it only helps me in the long run. Also, I've been thinking about ship names for this story. What do you guys think of Queenthorne (Jake/Thea) Cruthorne/Crawthorne (Jake/Maia)?**_

 _ **Shoutout to my buddies Bl4ckHunter, Dark Suspense, and TimeFury1347. They've been a huge help!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Starling General**

"Please say something," Thea pleaded once again from her seated position in her bed, her voice choking slightly at the end.

Jake turned to the brunette with crossed arms, his back now facing the large window in the hospital room. He watched her for a moment as he attempted to find the right words that expressed how he currently felt about **everything**.

Unfortunately, despite his desire to answer her and silence her worry, there was no use seeing that his emotions were all over the place. So instead, he closed his eyes and exhaled a small breath.

"What happened tonight with Sara- It's a lot, I know. But, you haven't said anything since we got here, and it's scaring me," Thea paused, turning to back to Jake, who still had his eyes closed.

"I hated it when you gave me the silent treatment when we'd fight, and I hate it now. I get that your pissed, but-"

"I'm not mad, not really," Jake finally spoke up, interrupting her. He opened his eyes with a sigh as his gaze immediately locked onto the emerald eyed brunette.

"I'm just... a mess right now, " he admitted softly as he strolled over to Thea, who exhaled a relieved breath in response.

She gave him an apologetic look once he came to stand beside her, near the left side of the hospital bed.

"I should have told you," her words came out in a low, choked whisper.

Jake shook his head, softening his gaze as his deep blue eyes wandered over to her bruises.

"It wasn't your place, Queen. And this," he gestured around them, "Isn't your fault."

He bit his upper lip, sparing a glance to the black boots that covered his feet.

"And it's not Sara's either," he thought aloud, heaving another sigh. He threaded a rough hand through his dyed curls before he proceeded in voicing his thoughts.

"I've always had this gut feeling ever since she disappeared. I mean, I never believed that Sara died on the Gambit, but fuck. I didn't expect what happened tonight," he told Thea, crossing his arms.

"Well, neither did I," she teased in an attempt to lighten the mood, giving the man beside her a small smile.

Not finding the humor in their current predicament, Jake frowned and shot the youngest Queen a pointed look, which in turn caused her smile to falter.

"Come on Jake! Where's the guy I know that finds the humor in almost everything, despite the situation?" She tried again, tugging on the black sleeve of his Gryffindor hoodie.

"That "guy" doesn't find anything funny about you getting hurt. He never will," Jake snapped with narrowed eyes, looking away.

An awkward silence soon filled the hospital room, and Jake exhaled softly. Despite the truth in his words, he regretted snapping at Thea the way he did. He was just so damn worried, especially when it came to her.

A few minutes passed before he finally turned to her with uncrossed arms, softening his gaze.

He muttered an apology to Thea, who in turn gave him an understanding nod. She grabbed a hold of his left hand and pulled it close, squeezing it in comfort.

Suddenly, a knock is heard from outside the door, followed by Oliver's gruff voice. Thea invited him in, and he entered the room with Laurel trailing behind. Immediately, the former billionaire strided over to embrace his sister, and Jake quietly stepped away.

He watched briefly as the two siblings whispered to each other before turning to Laurel, who waved him over to the door. As soon as Jake was within reach, the blonde pulled him in for a brief hug.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, pulling away as she eyed him with concern.

Jake took a moment to respond. When he finally does, he ignored her question and answered with a question of his own, "You knew... didn't you?"

Laurel exhaled quietly before nodding in confirmation.

Jake nodded as well, running a hand down his face.

"Where you ever gonna tell me?" He asked her, swallowing deeply.

The blonde averted her grey eyes from Jake as she glanced over his left shoulder, her gaze met Oliver's as he watched her pointedly from his spot beside Thea.

"I don't know," Laurel admitted, glancing down to the floor.

"I was considering it, but everything right now is just so-"

"Complicated?" Jake questioned once again, cutting her off with a knowing look.

Laurel nodded again, smoothing a lock of her hair behind her ear as she gave Jake an apologetic look.

He shook his head, brushing off Laurel's unspoken apology.

"It's fine, Laurel. I get it, even though I would've preferred it if you told me. We all have our secrets, some bigger than others."

Laurel blinked, crossing her arms. She gave Jake him a concerned look that could also pass as incredulous, "Some secrets are too dangerous to be kept hidden."

Jake only stared at her in response, keeping his exterior calm. Before he got a chance to register or even respond to the blonde's words, a strained, velvety voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Jake?"

He turned and faced Thea, his expression softening as he awaited her next words.

"Could you stop by the vending machine? I didn't get a chance to eat the chocolate I bought for the movie marathon before, y'know," she paused, gesturing to herself and the hospital bed she currently occupied.

"And I'm really craving some right now," she finished, sporting her best "puppy dog face", knowing full well that the nearest vending machine was 4 floors below them.

Jake snorted in amusement as he pondered her request. He though about tormenting the youngest Queen with a simple **_no_**. However, his mischievous thoughts of teasing her were immediately put to rest as soon as Oliver shot him an impatient, pointed look.

So, with a feigned sigh of annoyance, he relented, deciding he could use the walk to clear his head.

"Alright, fine. I'm only doing this to feed myself, by the way," Jake flashed Thea a teasing smirk as he said this, narrowing his deep blue eyes and turning to face the door.

"Keep telling yourself that," she called after him with a smirk, watching as he trekked over to the door and waved her off before leaving.

After his departure, the room settled into a tense silence as Oliver and Laurel subtly exchanged glares. This silent exchange didn't go unnoticed by Thea, who watched them for a moment.

"What are you guys fighting about this time?" She finally asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously.

Oliver quickly turned to his sister, his gaze softening.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Speedy," he replied a little too quickly, leaning in to the bed slightly as he rested a calloused hand on the plastic headboard.

Thea cocked an eyebrow, watching her brother with an incredulous look. She let it go after a few moments, deciding that Alex's suggestion of cutting Laurel out was the reason for the current dispute.

"I'm glad you're okay, Thea. And I'm glad that Jake was there to help," Laurel finally broke her silence, offering the brunette a smile.

Thea only nodded in response before lowering her head down. She began staring at her clasped hands as bit she her bottom lip, allowing herself to succumb to her thoughts.

Ever since Jake had returned to Star City, Thea had thoughts about confiding in him, exposing the darkness in her that had worsened and transformed into something else since she last saw him. And each time these thoughts would plague her mind, she would come to realize that she actually wanted to open up to Jake about what's transpired these last few years. Especially her secret identity as a vigilante. The Green Arrow's bow wielding partner, Speedy.

If it were anyone else, the youngest Queen would of considered the risks and kept everything hidden, despite her desire to. But this was Jake, her best friend, a man she trusted with her life. And considering that he was a witness to her current situation with Sara, she felt that maybe this was the right time to tell him.

"I've been thinking about this since Jake got back," Thea began, clearing her throat as her brother and Laurel turned to face her with questioning stares.

"And with everything that's happened recently... I think we should tell him," she finished, shooting Oliver a knowing look.

The former billionaire shook his head, turning away from his sister and stepping away from the bed to face the window.

"We don't have to tell him everything right now, I could just tell him that I'm Speedy," Thea added, glancing over to Laurel, who had seemed to be deep in her thoughts.

"No, absolutely not," Oliver told his sister firmly, turning back to face her with crossed arms.

"Ollie-"

"Telling Jake who we are and what we do would only add unnecessary complications to an already complicated situation. And right now, we can't afford to let him in. Not while Darhk and his organization are planning to take over **our** city," he told her, his tone matching the hardened resolve in his gaze.

"Is that what you told yourself every time you wanted to tell me you were the Hood?"

Oliver sighed, running a hand down his face.

"Jake already got a glimpse of what's been going on when Sara attacked me. Keeping him out of this will just make things worse," the brunette stubbornly continued.

"Telling him who we are won't make things easier, Thea." he argued with a challenging glare, holding her gaze.

Tension filled the air once again, and Thea heaved out a small breath, "Sara's not gonna stop. The pit has a hold on her, _**on me**_..."

Oliver's stone expression softened in concern, and walked back over to the bed, "Thea, I thought you were getting better."

She shook her head, "When I went to Nanda Parbat, I killed two guys. Malcolm served them up on a platter," she paused, clearing her throat as Oliver clenched his jaw.

"That helped keep the bloodlust at bay, for now. But Ollie, it's getting worse. _**I can feel**_ _**it**_ , and I don't want to hurt Jake. I don't want to snap at him, and he doesn't know what's going on," she finished, her eyes glazing over with unshed tears.

Oliver heaved out a sigh of his own, his gaze still on Thea as he shelved away her proposal. He spared a glance over toward Laurel's direction, his gaze hardening just a bit before he turned back towards his sister.

"I need a moment alone with Laurel, but I'll be outside if you need anything," he told her softly, the gentleness in his voice disguising the raging storm of his current emotions.

Thea responded with a small smile, and Oliver held her gaze for a moment longer before he turned and left the room, Laurel trailing just behind.

When they stepped out into the open corridor of the hospital, Oliver shot the blonde a frustrated look as a nurse in blue scrubs walked past them.

"You shouldn't have taken Thea to Nanda Parbat."

"I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't approve. If you had told me about the pit, I would have considered saving my sister alone," Laurel shot back, a hint of defiance laced within her tone.

"But you didn't save Sara, Laurel. She's dead, and her body is roaming the city as we speak, hunting for women that look like my sister," the former billionaire replied sharply, gesturing to the door of his sisters hospital room.

Laurel scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief, "So its okay for you to do everything in your power to save your sister, but I can't do the same for mine?"

"Sara was dead, Thea wasn't."

"Then why didn't you tell me about Thea seven months ago?" She persisted with crossed arms, looking directly into his eyes.

Oliver opened his mouth in an attempt to answer her question, but nothing came out. So instead, he sighed and looked away from questioning gaze.

His nonverbal response was enough to confirm Laurel's thoughts. She scoffed, nodding her head in understanding.

"Because you don't see me as an equal, " she stated, storming past the him as her shoulder almost brushed up against his.

"Laurel, of course I see you as an equal," Oliver called after her.

"No, you don't! You never have!" Laurel sharply turned back to him, her arms were practically glued to her sides as she furiously stared him down.

"You didn't tell me you were the Arrow-"

"Keep your voice down..." Oliver muttered through gritted teeth, shooting the blonde a pointed look.

"You didn't support me becoming the Black Canary, you never would have told me that there was a way to save my sister. And instead of telling me what was going on with Jake and letting me handle it, you put an arrow in his shoulder!" She continued, her words hitting Oliver like a sharp knife.

Oliver calmly shook his head, "He's not the same delinquent kid you tried to help 10 years ago, Laurel. There's a darkness in him, and it's been growing ever since his father died," he paused, letting out a deep exhale as his thoughts momentarily drift off to the night he interrogated Jake.

He was stubborn as hell during the encounter, dodging questions like he was evading punches. However, Oliver didn't need him to confirm his suspicions with words. The truth was revealed in his deep blue eyes right before Double Down had interrupted, and Jake escaped.

"I needed to make sure he wasn't a threat. To you, or to Thea."

"That wasn't your call to make! He's not your responsibility!" Laurel snapped, getting in his face.

Before things could escalate further, a loud and sudden crash is heard from inside Thea's hospital room.

"Thea?!" Oliver exclaimed, charging through the door.

Once he entered the room, he was immediately alarmed by the sight of Thea on the cold linoleum floors, who was coughing repeatedly. He practically slid over to her side, sitting her up and rubbing her back as she finished her coughing fit.

Oliver barely registered the blur of wild blonde hair in the corner of his eye as he focused on his sister. He turned to the shattered window on his right seconds after Sara exited the room, jumping out of the shattered window.

"I come baring treats!" Jake exclaimed with a grin, oblivious as he entered the room with chocolate and Rice Crispy Treats in his grasp.

His expression faltered completely as his gaze landed on a trembling Thea, his eyes widening just a as he shot her a questioning look.

She only shook her head, and Jake was immediately at her side.

Laurel swallowed deeply from her position in the doorway, watching as Oliver and Jake doted over Thea.

This was her fault, and she needed to fix this before something else happened. **Something much worse**.

* * *

Jake quickly slipped through the front door of the apartment before closing it, a rough exhale escaping his parted lips. His movements are swift as he slips his boots off by the doormat and wipes his face with a rough hand.

He didn't want to leave Thea after Sara attacked the first time. After the second attack at Starling General, Jake was practically glued to the youngest Queen's side. Making sure she was okay was his way of momentarily ignoring his mixed feelings towards the mentally draining situation. But, after Laurel had reassured him, telling him to go home and wait for a call, he realized that maybe he had done enough. He needed time to rejuvenate anyway, to make sure that he was okay before he could worry more over Thea.

A deep exhale escaped Jake this time as he closed his eyes. Opening them, he turned to the right side of the dimly lit room, his gaze meeting his mothers anxious blue eyes.

"How is Thea?" She asked him.

Jake was silent for a moment, and questions on what to say circulate in his mind as he strolled over to the small kitchen.

"She's fine, a little banged up. They discharged her a little earlier than expected, so she went home with Laurel," he finally responded, stepping into the kitchen as his mother nodded and poured him a cup of coffee.

Once the steaming cup was in Jake's grasp, he leaned against the edge of the counter, and the apartment is soon filled with a silence that could easily pass as both awkward and comfortable.

"Are you okay?" The older woman questioned this time, breaking the silence as she refilled her mug.

Jake turned to his mother, meeting her worried blue eyes as he attempted to mentally answer her question.

He sighed after a bit, running a hand through his navy blue curls.

Over the course of his life, people would ask Jake if he was _**okay**. _ And he had always known how to answer that almost every time. Whether it was a nod, a vocal response, or even a reassuring smile, he would always manage to come up with some sort of response. But ever since his father's death, he didn't know how to answer that question. Now, he would just ignore it or change the subject. Maybe it was because he wasn't okay deep down.

"I saw the eviction letters," he stated instead of answer her question, taking a sip of the black beverage in his grasp.

She froze, and a few minutes pass before she let out a tired sigh, "This isn't the first time we've been late on rent or gotten one of those letters. And it certainly won't be the last."

"Yeah, well," Jake lowered his black mug on the countertop behind him and shoved a hand in the left pocket of his joggers, pulling out a check.

"It's the last one we get for a little while, I payed two months rent."

His mother stared at him, wide eyed. It took her a few minutes to respond to the hand that was held out in front of her. To register the **_amount_** of money in her sons hand.

A check for **twenty thousand dollars.**

"Where the hell did you get this kind of money?" She questioned him, setting aside her own mug and practically snatching the piece of paper out of Jake's hand.

"If I told you where I got it, you wouldn't want to keep it," Jake replied, his tone flat.

In response, a look of realization spread across his mothers expression.

Elizabeth Hawthorne had lived in Star City long enough to know that there were only two ways to get the amount of money in her grasp. The first way consisted of being as filthy rich as the Queen family, which proved to be a difficult task for most of the city's residents. Only a small percentage of those people were truly capable of attaining that kind of wealth. And the rest, or at least a third of them, resorted to an easier route: selling drugs.

There was only one man she knew that specialized in that business. That greedy Brazilian bastard had been the cause of her sleepless nights, and her recent interest in alcohol. He was dead now, thank God. But now...

"Mom?" Jake questioned with a cocked eyebrow, disrupting her thoughts and the silence that had settled between them.

His mother shook her head, a look of fear and disbelief flashing across her face.

"I can't accept this... This is drug money," she muttered aloud and practically slapped the check onto the granite of the kitchen island as dark thoughts began to consume her mind.

"You need the money," he replied, the tone of his voice deepening just a bit.

" **I _need my son_** ," the older woman retorted a little too harshly. Her gaze finally broke away from the check, meeting a pair of blue eyes that had reminded her of the man she loved.

Unfortunately, those deep, dark pools of blue were hardened now. The charming warmth that used to resonate within his piercing gaze was now substituted with a distant coldness. A feeling she wasn't used to seeing in his eyes. And that terrified her.

"What happened to him to my son?" she asked, her voice choking at the end.

Jake swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing up as he continued to face his mother, who had persisted in pressing him.

"Something terrible happened, Jacob. I can see it in your eyes, no matter how hard you try to hide. I may be a workaholic, but I know when my son is in pain. And this..." she nodded down to the clenched fists behind his back.

"You can't keep holding it in. I don't care what it is, you can talk to" she finished, reaching for his hand.

Jake couldn't help but break out of his facade as a scoff escaped him. Nothing could halt his next choice of words as a strong feeling of resentment fills his core, "It's a shame I didn't get this talk after Dad died, or before I left. Though, I'm still alive after being forced into working for a gang. Guess I didn't need it that much."

The silence stretched further this time, giving Jake the time to simmer down, closing his eyes for a few moments. When he opened them again, a pair of shocked eyes greeted him. Guilt immediately flooded his core, and he exhaled.

"What gang- **wait**... Phillippe- he hurt you?" his mother asked in horror as angry tears welled in her eyes.

Jake shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, he's gone. Hey," he reached out to grab a hold of her hand. He squeezed it gently, effectively stopping the shaking before moving it towards the left side of his chest and resting it over his beating heart.

" ** _He's gone_** , Mom."

Reassured, she nodded, wiping at her tears. Once she calmed down, she was tempted to ask her boy what happened, and if he killed the Brazilian drug dealer. But, even in a calmed state, she couldn't handle mentioning the name of the man who murdered her husband again. The mere thought of him had already taken a toll on her. So instead, she shot Jake a look, raising her eyebrow just a bit as she silently conveyed her question.

He shook his head again, glancing down to the wooden floors of the kitchen.

"Not now. I'll explain later, I promise. Just-" An exhausted breath escaped him as a look of pain flashed across his face.

"Not right now," Jake repeated, his tone stronger this time as his mother nodded once again in understanding.

"In the meantime, we could find a better place and use this after the two months. " he reached out to remove the check from its spot on the granite countertop.

"Jacob..." his mother began, shaking her head.

"I hear Stone Ridge has some pretty nice apartments. Studios, lofts, penthouses. Hell, I could scrape up some more money out of my account and we could get a combo of all three if we wanted," he teased, offering the twenty thousand dollar check to his mother, who still eyed it and him skeptically.

"C'mon, mom! You always complained about needing a bigger apartment. And besides, I didn't get this from dealing, okay? I won it in a cage fight … Which is kinda worse, I guess."

"Both are pretty horrifying," she retorted dryly, fighting a smile.

She had seemed to be considering it for a few silent moments before she finally relented, grabbing the labeled paper.

"I _**do**_ _ **not** _ complain," she gave Jake a pointed look and pinched his shoulder when a chuckle escaped his lips.

Her own giggle broke free, adding to the fit of laughter that began to fill the apartment.

* * *

 **Verdant**

"I'm still not sure about this, Queen."

From her position at the foot of the stairs, Thea exhaled a breath before turning towards the second floor of the nightclub. Her emerald eyes landed on a skeptical Jake, who watched her with worried blue eyes as he leaned into the steel bars of the railing.

"I know. But this is the only way. Just stick to the plan we talked about, and we'll be good to go. Besides," she paused, bringing the walkie talkie in her grasp closer to her lips.

"I have a blue haired guardian watching my back. I'll be fine."

A small smile graced the youngest Queen's lips as a deep, raspy chuckle rumbled its way to her ear drums.

Afterwards, it's silent for a moment, and Jake takes the moment to glance up to the ceiling. He automatically straightens his stance behind the rails, and his grip on the handheld communicator tightens. Soon, his deep blue eyes settle into a glare as they land on a green hooded figure, anger and annoyance filling his core. For a moment, Jake's thoughts are consumed of what occurred last weekend.

From Jake's perspective, it was honestly only a matter of time before the famed green archer had tried to pry open the secrets of his past in Brazil. It was his job as Star City's "Hero" after all, snuffing out the corruption of an already fucked up city. And after getting past his initial annoyance and frustration, Jake had realized that he didn't blame the vigilante for interrogating him. No matter the circumstances, he was a murderer. A corrupted soul. There was no going back from that.

"Jake?"

A soft, velvety voice forced Jake out of his dark thoughts. He turned to Thea immediately and gave her a questioning stare.

"I-" se hesitated, biting her bottom lip.

"I'm glad you're back."

Thea settled on, ignoring the urge to tell him more. To say something that had equated to how she felt about his return. However, now wasn't the right time to dig up all of her unexpected feelings.

The small, closed mouth smile she received in return of her words had created a warm, tingly feeling in her abdomen.

 **CRASH**

Sara landed roughly in front of the bar from the shattered glass panel above, her wild blue eyes surveying the open space.

She growls, spotting Thea by the flight of stairs before charging towards her.

Jake watched the scene unfold closely, gritting his teeth as the youngest Queen was practically thrown to the ground. He hated witnessing this, but he promised Thea he'd trust her and keep his distance. So, he slowly inches towards the stairs, passing the lounge area and shuffling towards the stairs as a woman in black leather charged towards Sara from behind the counter of the bar.

The two blondes traded blows as Green Arrow dropped down from the ceiling in one swift movement. He then helped Thea to her feet and motioned for her to get behind him.

Jake, who had made it down the concrete steps, had glanced over to the fast paced fight on his right. He watched as the wild blonde ripped the side arm baton from Black Canary, before swinging it towards her masked face. Stunned, Black Canary stumbled back towards the counter of the bar.

From his position beside the foot of the stairwell, the green hooded archer had drawn his compound bow, aiming it towards Sara. He then lets go, and a tranquilizer arrow slices through the air before penetrating the blondes back, knocking her out.

A small, relieved breath escapes Jake as he celebrates the success of the plan silently. Little did he know, another plan had now began to break the surface.

Black Canary stabled herself with a small cough, wiping the blood that dripped from her nose as she straightened her stance. Her grey eyes narrow into a glare, landing on the unconscious body in front of her. She reached behind her back and grabbed the handgun that was holstered there.

She needed to end this. So, with the automatic weapon in her grasp, she straightened out her arms and aimed towards Sara. Unfortunately, this action doesn't go unnoticed by Jake, who glares and starts walking towards her.

"What are you doing? This wasn't a part of the plan!" He exclaimed, commanding the attention of Thea.

A look a worry and confusion flashed across the youngest Queens face as she watched him approach Black Canary, his deep blue eyes flaring in anger and confusion. Her gaze was focused on him, and the scene that unfolded right before her eyes.

Green Arrow on the other hand had quietly followed Jake as a precaution, whilst keeping his distance at the same time.

The gun in the blonde vigilantes hand shakes just a bit, her resolve cracking as Jake continued his advancements.

"Get out of the way." Her modulated voice demanded.

"You said you would save her, and that's what you're gonna do." Jake declared stubbornly, the anger in his eyes dissolving as fierce determination takes its place.

The masked blonde shakes her head vehemently, closing her eyes.

"There is no way of saving her. And even if there was, we couldn't risk it. She's too unstable, and there isn't enough time."

Jake scoffed in disbelief, halting his movements to a brief stop as he stood behind Sara's unconscious form.

"You're supposedly a **_hero_** , right? And from my understanding, heroes don't kill. They save people. Like you saved me that night, after Lonnie took me."

Black Canary turned towards Jake, a look of shock flashed across her face as she met his relentless gaze.

"Where is she, huh? Where is the woman I admired when I read the newspapers, the woman who gave people hope in this fucked up world we live in?" He questioned, rendering the masked blonde speechless.

He then glanced toward Sara's unconscious form, his deep blue eyes softening.

"Sara wasn't perfect, she made mistakes. But, knowing her made my life better," Jake paused, clearing his throat as a tidal wave of emotion hit him.

"I don't know how she got here, but if there's even a chance to bring her back, you need to try. You **promised** me that you would try."

Stunned, the blonde vigilante had turned toward Green Arrow, who had stood about six feet behind Jake. The firm nod she had received from him had reassured her, and she lowered her raised arms. Her grip had loosened on the handgun as she turned to Jake, giving him a nod and a reassuring smile.

It didn't matter how bad things got, or how much the situation had seemed impossible. There was a way to save her sister, and she had to try. For her father, for Jake, and for herself.

 _ **Afterwards...**_

Once Thea reassures him for the hundredth time that Sara would be in good hands and that she would call him with any news as soon she's able, Jake leaves Verdant and walks over to the sidewalk across the street.

As he crossed the empty street, he runs a hand through his dyed curls and pulls out his phone from his pocket, glancing down to the screen as he walked.

Jake quickly unlocks the handheld device to find a text from Nigel, telling him to meet up at his stashed warehouse. As he shoved the device back into his pocket, soft footsteps suddenly echo behind him.

He exhales as a familiar feeling overcomes him.

"Look, as much as I enjoyed the last time we spoke, I really don't have time for round 2. It doesn't matter how many times you use me for target practice."

He shoved his phone back into the pocket of his joggers before turning towards the ill-lit street, his annoyed gaze landing on the green hooded archer himself.

The bow wielding vigilante didn't respond right away. His narrowed eyes had seemed to be examining the young man in front of him for a few moments. Finally, his gaze softens just a bit, and his modulated voice doesn't come out as gruff as it usually does.

"You need to tell Laurel what happened in Brazil."

Jake's glares.

"How did you...?" He trailed before cutting himself off with a scoff, shaking his head in realization.

"That's Laurel Lance for you, always trying to save the world." He muttered into the chilly night breeze, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Green Arrow nods his head in agreement.

"Laurel is a good person. And fortunately for you," he paused, walking toward Jake, who in turn narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists as he instinctively prepared himself for a possible attack.

The green hooded archers steps were slow as he stepped out slightly from the darkened area. Soon, he stopped to stand in the center of the street, "She cares enough to stand by your side. To defend you, without question, without hesitation. She needs to know. And you need to talk about what happened, before it consumes you."

He gave the young man in front of him a pointed glare before he turned and began walking away.

Jake swallowed, a thoughtful look spreading across his face before a determined grin suddenly finds its way along the lines of his lips.

"I was caught off guard the last time we fought. It won't happen again."

The emerald archers movements across the street are abruptly reduced to a pause. He turned slightly to the right, sparing a sideways glance to Jake. His ocean blue eyes glimmer in amusement for a split second before he resumed his steps, walking away.

* * *

 **Paraíso das Morte- The Glades**

As soon as Jake opened the door and entered the small warehouse, an overwhelming stench filled his nostrils.

"Holy shit- what the hell Nigel?!" He exclaimed with a cough, raising his sleeved arm up to cover his mouth and nose. He slammed the door shut before stepping further into the nearly pitch black space.

Utilizing his ability to move about in the darkness, he began shuffling around the warehouse as he breathed through the fabric of his hoodie. His legs would occasionally bump up against crates as he moved, searching for the light switch. If his memory served him correctly, the switch should of been on the left side of the room next to the garage doors.

About a minute passed before he finally reached his destination, his left shoulder bumping against the wall as he flipped the switch with the side of his forefinger.

One by one, the lights that dangled from the ceiling flash on, and the warehouse is suddenly filled with a brightness that overwhelmed his eyes.

Once his eyesight adjusted to the now lit space, Jake turns away from the wall to face the center of the room. His heart stops for a split second, and everything suddenly made sense.

The pungent scent that had welcomed him when he entered the storage space had felt so familiar. And now, Jake knew why.

In the center of the room, propped up against a cocaine filled crate, was the still form of Nigel. The once tan flesh covering his face and neck were now a grayish purple with thick veins sticking out. A grotesque sight, but it didn't make Jake uncomfortable. Fear didn't fill his core as he approached the deceased Brazilian. Instead, anger and frustration filled him as he clenched his jaw.

"I've been watching you for awhile, Mr. Hawthorne. And I have to say, I'm quite intrigued."

Instinctively, Jake reached into the pocket of his joggers, grabbing a hold of his butterfly knife. He turned to the front door with a glare as a sharply dressed man with gray hair revealed himself from the shadows.

Before Jake could even think about attacking, the man effortlessly lifted a hand, effectively stopping any advancements. He growled in frustration afterwards, realizing that he couldn't move his body.

"I admired your ways of handling things in Brazil. A method like that requires the abilities of two highly damaged, but intelligent minds." The man approached slowly, keeping his hand up as he smoothed his other hand down his silk tie.

Once he's close to Jake, he swipes the Damascus Steel blade from his clenched grasp.

His cold, emotionless gaze softens just a bit as he stared at the knife. And a hint of remorse reveals itself in his next words,"I knew a man who owned this type of steel. He was a stubborn old fool. We never saw eye to eye, but I did respect him. Afterall, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have fallen in love... I wouldn't have been able to continue my legacy."

The man turned to a quiet Jake, who had continued to furiously stare him down with a focused glare, "Despite my interest in your abilities, your history with Maia Cruz has caught more of my attention."

Jake clenched his jaw in realization.

He was the leader of H.I.V.E, _**h** **e was hunting Maia.**_

"If you hurt her, I swear to God-"

"I assure you, Mr. Hawthorne, harming her is the last thing on my mind," the man interrupted him, shaking his head.

"It would be a tragedy otherwise, considering the fact that she's my daughter."

The anger etched in Jakes facial expression dissolved almost immediately, and his narrowed blue eyes are replaced with wider ones. In that moment, only one question could sum up his current thoughts.

 _ **What in the actual FUCK?**_

* * *

 **A/N: That twist tho! Did y 'all see it coming?**

 **This chapter was kind of a weird one to write, being that it was particularly dialogue heavy. Its where my creativity took me, so I'm not complaining.**

 **The next chapter should be out before school starts back up, hopefully. Also, please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and whether or not I royally screwed up Darhk's character.**

 **Also, just as a clarification, Jake was away from Star City for approximately 3 years and 10 to 11 months. Counting Brazil and on the way back.**


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: It's been about 9 months since I've updated, and for that I apologize. A couple of things played a part in that, but the main reason it took me this long was because I was lost in where I was going with telling Jakes past. I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to properly convey what happened in the flashbacks. The first three were decent, but after re-reading/editing them for mistakes and changes ( turns out I'm hopeless in finding a beta as well ) I realized how... bare they were. I knew where I wanted to take things, but my mind would go blank on mapping out how to get there. I still haven't 100% decided on the HOW. But as I continue this journey of writing Jake, and how he specifically fits in with the Arrowverse, I've come to realize something important about myself._**

 ** _I will continue to make mistakes, and I may regret some of them. There will be plot holes in this fic that I won't see until the last minute. There will be parts that are not so great, and others that are written well. I'm not a perfect writer, no matter how hard I try, and this story won't be either. But I'll keep writing it anyway, because I love every minute of it. I enjoy writing Jake. I like crafting the crazy -and at times, unrealistic- idea I have that is HIS story._**

 ** _A few more things:_**

 ** _1\. After reading recent reviews, I realized another flaw of the flashbacks. They WERE'NT in the perfect order I thought they were in. *facepalms.*_**

 ** _2\. I've also come to realize how difficult it is to translate a show to paper. A television show can show more of what happens without making the story look disjointed. This is another reason why I'm struggling with the flashbacks. I can't show everything. Maybe- and this is just a thought- I could alternate between Jake AND Maia once she's introduced into the present. Of course, everything would be seen from her point of view like I've done so far with Jake. I also could alternate between them using the journal I introduced in chapter 5. But still, I'd love a another opinion._**

 ** _3\. From now on, when describing Maia, I won't use "Filipina-Brazilian" anymore. That is why it's edited out of the previous chapters. It's who she identifies as, but I want to show it. Not tell it._**

 ** _4\. I made a final change to Jakes pair of blades, switching out the Kampalan for the Ginunting. I also added dual pistols to his arsenal, which will be seen in action soon. More weapons will be added as the story progresses._**

 ** _5\. In light of Arrow concluding this fall, I've decided that my story will be something akin to an alternate version of S4-S7. Some storylines will be the same, some won't. But this way, I'll try to erase/change some of the canon storylines I didn't enjoy. And, it will be easier for me to write without feeling the need to include everything._**

 ** _That's all I've got for now! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

 _ **OTPGalore19**_

 _ **:)**_

* * *

Jake gawked at the well dressed man in front of him. An all in one tidal wave of confusion, anger, and shock overwhelmed him. He felt dizzy, the sounds around him fading into a low hum once they reached his ears. They blurred together and meshed into persistent murmurs, forcing him to momentarily zone out of his present predicament.

"I needed Nigel alive," he stated after zoning back in, irritation laced within his tone.

The faintest of smirks found its way along the line of Damien's lips.

"Mr. Lima was only a plague to himself, to you, and this world. Besides, he betrayed your trust before. What made you think he was being truthful while he pleaded for his life?" The well dressed man paused, gesturing to the deceased Brazilian with his free hand.

"Deep down, you knew his promises were possible lies. You knew that he didn't have any information regarding your father's murder. It was only a matter of time before the "Ghost" claimed his life."

Jake glared, his deep blue eyes flashed in anger for a bit before simmering to ground level.

"What the hell do you want?" He questioned stiffly, clenching his jaw.

"It's quite simple, actually. I want what's best for my daughter," Damien stated, resuming his cold stature.

Resisting his urge to scoff, Jake raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"What's best for her? You don't even know her."

"That's where you come in, Mr. Hawthorne," Damien stepped closer toward a frozen Jake.

"Maia still loves you. Three months apart doesn't change that fact. No matter how much she's tried to hide it. That unwavering loyalty was not a trait she received from her... mother," his ice blue eyes had softened once again before hardening into a menacing stare.

"Her search for Mr. Garmudela led her to Coast City, the current residence of Jose Silva."

When the all too familiar name hit his ears, Jake clenched his jaw. He was suddenly taken back to some of the worst moments of his life. Images of barbed wire and his twisted smile escaped from the box it was discarded in, triggering him and fueling his burning hot rage. It filled his core in seconds as he recalled the man who took part in the pain he had endured.

"Channel that anger. That raw, white hot rage, and use it to take Mr. Silva's life," Damien stated, authority spilling from his voice as he continued inching closer to an aggravated Jake.

"Become the Ghost, Mr. Hawthorne. And then," he reached forward to grab a hold of the Damascus Steel pendant that was tucked behind the front of Jake's hoodie, his tight grip pulling the necklace toward himself, "Convince my daughter to return with you. Bring her home."

Damien backed away, his steps were slow as he made a move to leave. However, his movements were suddenly reduced to a pause, and he turned to face Jake with his forefinger raised, "One more thing, and forgive me for my genuine curiosity... Why do you seek vengeance from a ghost?"

His question echoed through the stiff air as, suddenly, the lights that had previously illuminated the warehouse flickered. Soon, they ceased, and the well dressed man was nowhere in sight. As if he had vanished into thin air.

Jake stood there for what felt like hours, frozen as his mind continued its reeling cycle of processing what had just happened. His gaze eventually landed on the still corpse of Nigel, who stared back at him with unmoving hazel eyes. He should have felt remorse for his untimely death, but he didn't. He **couldn't**. Not after he had given him his trust, his friendship, and was instead repaid with betrayal.

He turned his head to the ground, spotting his butterfly knife. With narrowed eyes and a frustrated huff, he leaned forward and snatched it from its place on the concrete floor. Then, he found himself walking toward Nigel, his feet moving before he could even think about it. He stopped in front of him, his narrowed eyes scanning for the phone that was always on him. The only hope in finding what he needed.

Jake found the device underneath the shadow of Nigel's hovered hand, which had been discarded into the opened crate of cocaine. He pulled back his left arm through his hoodie, the sleeve fully covering his fingers as he reached to grab the phone. Blinking, he discarded it into the pocket of his joggers and prepared to do the same with the knife in his other hand. However, once his gaze landed on the blade, his thoughts drift over to Darhk, halting any further actions.

Another wave of emotion hit him, but was instead filled with anger. It's hot flames filled him as he recalled Darhk's words, and he focused on that feeling for what came next. He welcomed it as fuel for a battle he needed to finish.

It was time for the Ghost to claim another life.

* * *

 **Arrowcave**

Laurel watched Constantine closely, her anxious gray eyes following each step he took in a prepping Sara's body for the ritual. Although her gaze was focused on the blonde Brit closely as he moved about, her mind was clouded with thoughts of the events that had transpired almost two hours ago. The blonde vigilante had regrettably pulled a gun on her own sister in an attempt to put her out of her misery. And, if it wasn't for the bold actions of Jake, everything the Lazarus Pit had done to bring Sara back would've been wasted. She was almost certain of this.

His unwavering determination in Sara had surprised Laurel at first. However, that shock had soon worn off and an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia had taken its place. And soon, she had begun to realize why his loyalty had felt so familiar to her.

The blonde had always known him to be fiercely protective. Whether it was herself whenever Oliver would stop by her apartment for a "visit", or Thea whenever they'd roam the city together. He would always be there, like an alpha looking after members of his pack. It was a trait that was quite annoying back then, but she soon had come to discover its charm over time. And now, she found herself appreciating that part of him more.

Her faith in Jake and the man he could become had been restored after he relentlessly advocated for Sara's life. She still believed in him, and she still **loved** him. The notes she found in the cave and the suspicions from her father that suggested he was a murderer didn't matter to her after that. Her heart told her that the young man she had come to see as a little brother was still good, despite all of the darkness that surrounded him.

Laurel fought tooth and nail to bring her sister back. And no matter what it took, she was going to do the same with Jake.

"Constantine is a friend, and a great sorcerer. He knows what he's doing," Oliver told the eldest Lance sister, forcing her to turn to him as he moved to stand beside her.

"We'll get Sara back," he reassured her.

Laurel gave him a slight nod, glancing towards the unconscious form of her sister.

She cleared her throat, bowing her head down as she turned her attention toward the ground, "I went too far at the hospital."

"You made solid points, specifically with Jake," Oliver conceded, crossing his arms.

Laurel's head snapped up abruptly in shock before turning toward the former billionaire. Her confused gray eyes bore into his electric blue ones, prompting him to elaborate.

"You should have been the first person to know as soon as I got a hold of Lonnie's footage. I should of told you what was going on with Jake the moment I knew something was wrong, and I didn't."

Since she was still in shock at Oliver's revelation, at his unexpected choice of words, Laurel continued to eyeball him in response. Except now, one of her blonde eyebrows were raised in skepticism.

"Oliver Queen, admitting he's wrong? Never thought I'd see the day," she teased, an amused scoff escaping her.

The corners of the billionaires lips turned up a bit, forming into a faint but amused smile at her quip. Soon, it disappeared altogether, and his expression retreated back into its serious demeanor.

"Jake doesn't need me, he isn't my responsibility. Which is why I am passing his investigation on to you. Everything we have on him is yours. But, if this escalates, and he threatens you or Thea in **any** way, I will step in. Without hesitation," he told her, his eyes hardening just a bit.

"It won't come to that," Laurel replied defiantly, shaking her head.

A small beat of silence had settled between the two, until Laurel turned to Oliver again, her expression questioning, "What about Thea?"

Oliver sighed, his eyebrows knitting together as he glanced over to his sister. She was across from him, standing off toward the side by Felicity and her monitors.

"She needs to hear it from him."

"I know," she agreed, but shook her head, "But I'm talking about her wanting to tell Jake what she does to keep this city safe. _What we do_."

Oliver considered her words for a few moments before he replied, his jaw clenching as his thoughts of their situation intensified, "Jake is reckless. It doesn't matter if he hears it from Thea, or discovers it on his own. This is about **trust**. He may have yours and Thea's, but he hasn't earned mine."

Laurel looked as if she was going to protest, but his next words rendered her speechless before she could even utter a response.

"The man he became in Brazil... No matter how hard you push him in the right direction, he decides his own path. He has to want help, Laurel. You can't force it on him," Oliver looked her right in the eye as he said this, making sure she understood every word.

She did, confirming it with a slow but firm nod. Deep down, she believed he was right. And yet, it didn't prevent the truth from hurting any less.

"Not to interrupt your chatter, mate. But I'm ready to get this show on the road," Constantine called out to them, rubbing his hands together.

Laurel exchanged a look with Oliver, who gave her a reassuring nod before they made their way over to the rest of the group.

* * *

 _ **The following day, early afternoon...**_

Parked out by the side of his apartment complex, Jake leaned into the driver seat of his custom Boss 429 and reached for the Frappuccino situated between his legs. He took a long sip and closed his eyes, seeping in the sensation of the cold sliding down his throat. The feeling was calming, coupled with the indie rock humming from the stereo. He needed this, a moment to zone out of his own mind. To ignore all of his buzzing thoughts, and forget about the feelings that overwhelmed his core.

In the past, he wasn't really the type to dwell on the misfortunes in his life. He would work to fix what was wrong instead of complaining, which made him focus on the task at hand. If what was wrong couldn't be fixed, he would push through and move on. Or, if his feelings were too extreme, he would exert that energy into physical activity: baseball in the Spring, track in the Fall, and Thai boxing to fill in the gaps.

That was his go-to approach, and it had seemed like a solid way to handle things. However, since his father's untimely demise and _**recent**_ events, he found himself unable to keep his feelings at bay. Or more specifically, his mixed emotions that pertained to yesterday's events.

The day started off average for the most part, at least from Jake's perspective. He had woken up tired and sore from his injuries, like usual. A portion of his thoughts were of Brazil and Maia, like usual. The only "new" occurrence that took place was him accessing his case of equipment, which hadn't been opened in months. Seeing the blades he used to shed blood brought out a darkness in him that he had been trying to subdue. Luckily, it had worked for a bit, with the help of Thea.

His afternoon had been more than average after he agreed to meet with her. Talking with her, hell, just being around her was enough to make his day. Things between them felt familiar, _**unchanged**_. Like old times, when they were just wild teenagers, desperate for anything that took their minds off of their grievances. It was strange how easy it was to follow that same pattern, considering how long it had been since Jake last saw her. He expected concern from her, **anger**. Instead, there was only acceptance, and a pinch of awkwardness that had melted away without notice. Everything that followed was only mixed sensations of nostalgia and contentment.

Jake was familiar enough with the feeling to know why it felt so comfortable. She was one of the best parts of his old self, and it felt amazing to be that for a few hours. To reminisce, submerge into those times when he was happy. When life was less complicated and more grounded, despite the suffocating grief. A part of him wished things could stay that way, but he wasn't naïve. He knew he was a different person now, using his pain as a weapon to fend off anyone who posed a threat. And if, at any point, he were to forget that aspect of himself, he had two unexpected meetings to remind him of those changes.

One was Sara's impromptu interruption, which terrified him and made him hopeful at the same time. The other, more mind boggling event was a revelation that made his brain go into overdrive.

A man in charge of an elite organization, which was suspected in the city's recent attacks, shared his ex's DNA. Damien Darhk... was **Maia's** _father._

In case he had forgotten within the last nine hours, he had received a reminder from who he had reasonably assumed was Darhk. It was in the form of a text from an unknown number. Attached was a message and a map with three locations Maia was last seen in within the past few days: an auto repair shop, a small warehouse by the docks, and a nightclub in the downtown area. He had skimmed over each of their names briefly after a quick shower and began packing a bag once his mother left for work.

Jake still couldn't fully wrap his mind around his encounter with him. However, fortunately for him, understanding everything was not his first priority. Darhk was dangerous, sure. He had the power to shake up the scattered pieces of his life, and put them together in his own image. However, his sketchy presence in Star City was not an immediate threat. Whatever he had in his cards couldn't be accomplished overnight, which gave Jake the leeway to focus on seeing Maia again, which was _overwhelming._

Before he left Brazil, things between them were... complicated. His relationship with her had never been simple to begin with, or normal for that matter. For one, their beginning wasn't exactly slow paced. Part of that was the lifestyle they followed, working for a notorious drug dealer.

Secondly, they were nearly identical in terms of the way they approached intimacy. Maia was just as expressive as Jake was, preferring to communicate with actions rather than words. This lead into not having a concrete label for what they were doing, or who they were to each other. A title just didn't seem to fit them, so they never tried to simplify what had already seemed in place.

Though it was reckless, this method of navigating their relationship had worked steadily for awhile. That was, until Phillippe's influence over Jake took a sharp turn for the worst. For months, he had consumed the shit that had been fed to him, most of which pertained to his father's death. He was too focused on finding out what really happened, on earning that information for his work in the gang, that he didn't realize that he was losing himself along the way.

It got to the point where it wasn't just about survival for him anymore. Hell, it wasn't even about avenging his father. The longer he stayed in the survivor mentality thrust upon him, the more it became a part of who he was. He wanted to strengthen himself so he never had to worry about not making it out alive. And when he climbed to the top, oblivious and not caring about what he did to get there, he ended up hurting Maia.

She did everything she could to steer him away from that path. However, her warnings and opinions were stubbornly dismissed, prompting the start of their fractured relationship. The arguments they had gotten into had only added fuel to their growing fire, which matched the intensity of everything around them. And the consequences of Jake's involvement were white hot upon impact, searing the fabric of their romance.

Although, that wasn't the worst part of it. Hurting her had hurt Jake, of course. But it didn't hurt him as much as it did when he broke a vow he had made to her indirectly. It didn't drive him to fight as hard as he did to survive, and fix what was broken.

With a rough exhale, Jake opened his eyes, the blinding light from the afternoon sun greeting him through the windshield. Once his sight adjusted to the brightness, his gaze had immediately landed on the necklace around his neck. His left hand had absentmindedly grabbed a hold of the arrowhead-shaped pendant, its rough edges poking into his palm as his grip tightened around it.

 ** _July, 2012_**

 ** _Ilha Grande, Brazil_**

 _"I don't think you're old man likes me," Jake muttered, his words slicing through the silence as he helped Maia clear the dinner table._ _His eyebrows were knitted together thoughtfully, and his tone held a hint of humor despite the_ _slight frown his lips curled into._

 _It had been about a half an hour since he and Maia arrived at her grandfather's house; a_ _comfortable two floor cabin in the woodlands of Ilha Grande. They were in a space that conjoined the kitchen and dining room, cleaning up the leftovers from the meal that had been prepared._

 _Design wise, the cabin itself was pretty nondescript_ _, both the exterior and interior consisting of only iron wood and rock. Nothing too extravagant, and nothing with bright and lively colors. Same for the small shack resting a distance behind it, which looked akin to a tool shed kept in the back of a house. Yet, there was something beautiful about how they simply fit with the lush green atmosphere. Despite this, however, what really stood out to Jake were the origins of its construction._

 _About four decades ago, after serving his two four-year tours in the Brazilian Armed Forces, Rafael Cruz purchased a few acres of land not too far from the marketplace. With that space, he built a house for Maia's grandmother and their daughter, who was born not too long after. To further support his new family, he had learned the trade of bladesmithing and opened a forge in_ _Vila do Abraão; the islands main village, and the nearest settlement._

 _Over two decades later, Maia was born, and a fraction of her life had resided there ever since. With the man who raised her, **lo**_ ** _ved_** _her_ _unconditionally_. _She vowed to stay by his side, even after she moved to the city in search of her own opportunities. Her visits were short when she started working for Phillippe, and only sufficed to deliver his kidney medication. But when her birthday rolled around the corner every year, she made sure she had the day to spend with him. No matter how long she had to bargain with the drug lord._

 _Jake admired her loyalty towards her family, and he had been looking forward to meeting the man who had instilled that value. That was, until he actually faced him, and was met with a coldness he had never seen in person. Which was kind of strange, considering its contrast to how warm he was when he saw Maia._ _Hell, his whole face lit up like Fourth of July fireworks when she stepped into the threshold of the cabin._

 _But when Jake followed her in, it was like a cold wind had blown by, snatching the light of a lit candle along with it. That tension lingered as they ate supper, and he focused more on his plate of barbecue while Maia held a conversation with her grandfather in Portuguese._ _She had been teaching Jake the basics of the language, so he understood a handful of words exchanged. However, being familiar with the language didn't dull the awkwardness he felt. In fact, it had only increased the sensation tenfold._

 _His past relationships never made it to the "Meet the Father" stage, so a part of him just assumed this was a normal part of the experience. A bump in the road that would flatten over time. But the other part that had usually took into account his gut feeling felt like there was something else underneath the surface. And he was too stubborn to let it go without attempting to solve the issue._

 _"That's funny, because I don't think he **likes** most people," Maia retorted with a snort, standing beside the chair her grandfather had sat in. _

_She was balancing a dirty plate and a pair of glasses in her hand as she reached for the bottle of_ _Cachaça. As soon as her forefinger and thumb latched around the neck, it was lifted off of the wooden surface; the dark liquid sloshing around inside at the sudden movement._

 _Her gaze met Jakes briefly before she turned toward the kitchen behind her, a soft sigh escaping her when she took notice of his genuine expression, "I wouldn't take it personally. He's always been reserved."_

 _"Reserved? That's not the way I would describe staring at someone like you want to **skin** them alive," he deadpanned, standing near his seat from across the table. He watched her with an incredulous look as she placed both the bottle of alcohol and the dirty dishes by the sink. _

_Maia turned back to Jake, her expression unreadable as she stared him in the eye. She was silent as she did this, until her features suddenly hardened in realization, "You care."_

 _Jake blinked, taken aback as he sensed their banter shifting to serious, "Why wouldn't I?"_

 _She hesitated, avoiding his gaze for a moment before she finally spoke, her words a soft murmur, "I wasn't expecting this."_

 _Maia said it like she was speaking to herself, and he was about to ask her to explain before she continued._

 _"Things were good between me and my grandfather, even though he didn't want me to leave the island. He was fine when I left, and then he fainted. And the doctor told him he had kidney disease," her voice quivered slightly, "His meds weren't cheap, and we were running low on cash, so I- I went to Phillippe. He was offering, and I knew he wasn't gonna make it easy, but I needed it. And then you.. **you're** not supposed to care Jake. That's just making this harder."_

 _Jake stared at her, his eyes widening in surprise as if he had just been slapped in the face. His mouth shifted into another frown as she rambled on. But the lines were firmer this time, solidifying his feelings of dejection and confusion._

 _"Whatever's happening between us **can't** interfere with my job. Without his meds, he could get worse and we can't afford dialysis-_ "

 _"Hey, I get it," Jake interrupted, shaking his head as he crossed over the threshold to stand in front of her, "This is important. I'm not the only one who needs Phillippe. **I get it** ," he repeated, looking her in the eye as he reached out to her._

 _His thumb_ _made contact with her cheek, and her ocean eyes shot up to his face as he began caressing her soft sun-kissed skin._

 _"And like it or not, I give a damn. Okay? So don't ask me not to," he muttered softly, looking her in the eyes._

 _Maia sighed, relenting against his touch as she slowly let go of the tension in her muscles. She let her eyes flutter shut as she felt him crashing against her, his large arms wrapping around her small frame._

 _They stood like that for a few moments, silently indulging in each other's company. However, at the sudden sound of wood creaking, they pulled apart from each other. Jake was the first to turn toward the source of the noise, and he gulped at the sight of Maia's grandfather staring back at him._

 _Surprisingly, the middle aged man wasn't glaring daggers at him like he did prior. His gaze still held its heat, but the flames were controlled as he measured the young man before him with mapel brown eyes. They lingered for a little longer before migrating to Maia, softening as soon as they landed on her._

 _His steps were slow as he walked into the kitchen, only stopping a good distance in front of the pair. One hand held a drawstring pouch. The other held something behind his back, but Jake couldn't tell what it was until his right arm came into view, revealing two sheathed blades. They were different lengths, one was less than half of the bigger blade in feet._

 _" **Isso ficará ótimo com seu arco, minha vida** ," he gave his granddaughter a knowing smile, his hoarse accented voice filling the room._

 _She slipped free from Jake's grasp, her stunned expression melting into excitement as she stepped forward. Her eyes danced with mischief as she reached for the smaller one. It was released from its scabbard with a crisp scrape of steel, the sound hitting like music to her ears._

 _With practiced ease, Maia slid the dagger back into its sheath and placed it in a cleared space on the table before she moved onto the larger blade and repeated the pattern._

 _"It's beautiful, **papai** ," she beamed, trailing a finger over the base of the sturdy steel._

 _Her grandfather only hummed in response, and she turned to meet his gaze. Before she could find his eyes, however, she found something else along the way. The pouch in his grasp was empty, it's item laying flat against its fabric, rendering her frozen in her stance._

 _Jake, who was watching the ordeal with narrowed eyes, could sense that something was wrong. Maia was quiet- so **unusually** quiet. She only moved to place the sword by its counterpart, her hands shaky as she let it slip from her grasp. A thought of intervening crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside as heard her grandfather utter the words, __"She would want you to have this."_

 _He could have sworn seeing the older man's eyes glaze over as he stood at his full height and leaned in, planting a chaste kiss to Maia's forehead._

 _Pulling away, he whispered something to her before taking a step back, his gaze finding Jake again, "You know how to use a blade,_ _ **garoto**?"_

 _Jake hesitated, his eyebrows knitting together for a moment._

 _"Depends on how you want me to use it," he decided on with a shrug, glancing over to Maia as she turned back around._

 _Though, she didn't look at him. The necklace clenched in her left hand had her undivided attention. A green, frog-shaped stone hung from the side of her hand as she stared it down with an unreadable expression. Her other hand hovered over the Damascus steel pendant around her neck._

 _Raphael eyed him silently for a few moments before he huffed, "Good enough. I need eh... how do you Americans put it? Test subject?"_

 _That snapped Maia out of her trance. She turned to Jake, fighting the urge to smirk as he gave her a wide-eyed look, "I'm sure he means assistant."_

 _He didn't look convinced, however, because there was that mischievous glint in her ocean eyes._

 _"They are new blades that need testing. I need extra hands, and my **neta** needs a break from hovering over me," Raphael clarified, his tone switching to amused at the last bit, and his gaze darted over to Maia as she scoffed good-naturedly._

 _His eyes returned to Jake, measuring him closely. They were expectant, and made up from the lack of emotion in his expression._

 _Jake was still a bit wary of the request. He felt out of his element, but it wasn't a new feeling. It had been like this **since** he came to Brazil. He was thrown out of his comfort almost everyday, and he had adjusted just fine. Besides, this was minuscule compared to what Phillippe put him through. And __he didn't feel like messing up what was going on with Maia by poking the hornet's nest._

 _She was a source of light in new life. He missed his mother and Laurel. He missed **Thea** and their good times. But they were all elements of his life old life- a part of his past when times where simpler. He needed to focus on the present, no matter how much it stung. He needed closure for his father, and his unjustified murder. And, though it was unexpected, Maia was a part of that. She was the light he needed more of if he was going to survive this dangerous path. _

_"Sure, Mr. Cruz. I'm happy to help," Jake finally replied, reaffirming his answer with a resolute nod._

 _Raphael blinked, nodding as well. Though, it was less noticeable._

 _"Follow me, then," was all he said as he crossed the room, his steps slow and a bit stiff as he walked over to the patio door._

 _The sound of it sliding opening and then closing alerted them of his departure. Before Jake made a move to leave as well, he turned to Maia, who stood beside the table with the new necklace still in her grasp._

 _"You okay?" He asked her, his hand reaching out like a snake to rest over the small of her back._

 _Maia lifted her head up at him, tilting it sideways as she met his concerned eyes._

 _"Yeah I'm fine. I just..." she hesitated, glancing down to the necklace as she smoothed her thumb over the green stone, "This was my mom's. I've seen her wear it before, but I was too young to know what it was. Though, I remember how distinct the color was, and the shape. I just got hit with nostalgia. That's all."_

 _He wasn't sold on her excuse, so she shot him a look, "My grandfather doesn't like to wait. Go before he hurts himself overworking, **and I blame you**."_

 _Jake's bottom lip curled over his front as he attempted his best sad puppy face. He only received a glare and a light shove against his chest, so he took a step back, raising his hands in surrender._

 _"Alright, fair enough. But just so you know," he began with a suggestive smirk, the space between them widening, "I like your punishments."_

 _He opened the screen door so fast that he barely saw the way her cheeks flushed, or how quickly she had reached for her dagger. She didn't chase after him, but the image crossed his mind, making his lips curl up in amusement._

 _His smile melted away, his expression shifting to neutral as he took in the sight of what was in front of him. The shack was opened wide, and six cutting dummies were scattered about in the grass. They were all different in both material and size, but he recognized the three tatami stands just by glancing at them. Immediately, he was reminded of when he was younger, and Benji had taken him to his first martial arts class. He remembered being in awe as he watched his sensei slice through the rolled up straw mat._

 _"You move slow for one of Phillippe's drug runners, **garoto**."_

 _Jake turned to his far left at the voice, and he found Maia's grandfather shooting him a glance from where he stood beside a picnic table. The tabletop was covered with the blades needing testing._

 _"The cabin's making it hard for me to leave my past behind. Reminds me of my uncle," was Jake's honest reply, the sun hot against him as he finally began making his descent down the small stack of steps._

 _His feet hit the thick green grass, but they kept moving as he trekked further into the backyard, passing the small field of cutting dummies._

 _The older man didn't offer a reply when he joined him, standing across from the table, so he spoke up again, "And how'd you know I moved drugs?"_

 _Raphael laid down another blade with a rough exhale, the bags underneath his eyes scrunching together as they began to narrow, "You smell like weed. Now, so does my home."_

 _One of Jake's eyebrows quirked up, and he pulled the front of his shirt up over his nose. He sniffed the dark fabric a couple of times; and after discovering that the article of clothing did indeed have a musky odor, he let it slip back down with a shrug._

 _"Yeah, well, I won't have to shove sealed packs of coke down my throat anymore," he paused, gagging at the memories of walking through security with pounds of drugs in his stomach before he continued, "He promoted me."_

 _Once again, the wind's whistles and the cricket's chirps were the only response Jake received. Although this time, the sounds were accompanied by footsteps, and he looked up to find the older man wordlessly walking toward the shack._

 _Assuming the conversation was over, Jake decided to get a closer look of the blades, his narrowed eyes gazing down to the table. A lot of them were shaped like knives and daggers, with just a few looking long enough to suffice as a sword. The majority of them also_ _appeared to be made out of regular steel, but there was one near the middle that caught his attention._

 _The wooden handle faced him, and it didn't look too big, so he reached for it with a calloused hand. His fingers latched tightly around the grip as he lifted it from the table and pulled it closer so he could inspect every detail._

 _It was a sword, but compared to the others, this one stood out like a sore thumb. The color of the steel blade wasn't the typical sterling silver. Instead, it resembled a pattern akin to the arrowhead Maia wore around her neck. Black and grey meshed together, forming swirls like the wavy grains of wood. It_ _had also seemed to be curved as a whole, with both the top of the blade and the pommel of the handle bent downward._

 _"I don't care why you're here, working for a madman like Phillippe."_

 _Raphael's hoarse voice cut through his focus, and he turned around to find him staring back at him with a sharp glare. A blade was in his hand, which looked thin enough to be a machete. But it was curved like a boomerang, and it was made with the same steel of the blade Jake was wielding._

 _"If she gets hurt, and I find out you were involved in **any** way, I will slit your throat and feed you to the _**_cães vadios_** _," the older man continued, lifting his weapon._

 _Jake watched as it stopped at his face, it's sharp tip pointing toward him before his gaze found Raphael again, his expression hardening, "That won't happen."_

 _"Can you promise this?" Was his immediate reply, firing it off with more intensity than the last words he had spoken._

 _Jake didn't hesitate however, and he replied without blinking, "Yeah. But I would rather show you."_

 _They stood like that for a few minutes as Raphael eyed him, the heat radiating from his gaze relentless. Finally, it cooled down, his facial expression returning to neutral as the blade in his hand fell back to his side._

 _His mapel brown eyes fell toward the sword in Jake's hand, and he hummed in approval, "Ginunting's a fine weapon. Used one during the Cold War, but it was carbon steel," he paused, nodding back to the group of testing dummies, "Lets see how it does in Damascus."_

 _Raphael turned to walk without waiting for Jake, but he followed quickly, staying behind and letting the older man lead him._

 **Present Day**

A sudden round of repetitive taps against the driver seat window startled Jake out of his thoughts, and he reacted instinctively. The hand clutching his Damascus steel pendant had migrated over and slid effortlessly into the denim pocket of his jeans, his fingertips brushing over the small handle of his butterfly knife.

He turned toward the source, and exhaled a breath, quickly removing his hand from his jean pocket. Relief immediately replaced his paranoia as his gaze found Thea, who stood outside of the drivers seat door with her purse hanging from one shoulder. Her feet were firmly planted against the concrete of the sidewalk.

She eyed him with a questioning stare as he set aside his coffee, placing it inside the cup holder adjacent to his outer thigh. Afterwards, he moved to push a button down, jump starting the glass panel's descent inside the driver seat door.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jake asked her as he breathed, his eyes still wide open in surprise at her sudden appearance.

"Just got here," Thea retorted, stepping closer to the window, "I wanted to check in. Make sure you were okay after all the craziness last night," she paused, giving him a once over, "You look tense."

"Oh, I'm just fine. My stress induced headache could never compare to your battle scars," he replied dryly, nodding as he glanced over to the bruising over her eye, which was still noticeable underneath the layer of makeup she wore, "Can't even compare it to what Sara's going through. How is she doing, by the way?"

"She's exhausted, but good. Laurel's taking care of her," she told Jake with a small smile, making him feel reassured.

He nodded once again and exhaled, releasing the breath he hadn't realized was held in. Then, he bit his upper lip and succumbed to the thoughts buzzing around in his mind. Several of those consisted of informing Thea about his sudden departure were on the frontlines, along with reassuring her of his return. He could break the news by telling her he was meeting up with an ex. Which, in his defense, wasn't really a lie. He was leaving to find her. Though, if anything, it was a vague truth painted over undisclosed details.

However, before he could even find the words to inform her of his temporary departure, his thoughts had absentmindedly shifted over to the night before. Specifically, the moment at Verdant, when he had advocated for Sara in front the Black Canary.

 **In front of Starling City's masked heroes.**

It suddenly occurred to him that Thea, who had informed him of the game plan prior to his arrival, had to have known the group of vigilantes. Once Sara had been rendered unconscious, the youngest Queen had convinced him to go home, and insisted on staying behind. She claimed that she needed to stay behind and close up shop after Sara was taken for _treatment_. However, Jake had an inkling that there was something else going on.

He was too mentally exhausted last night to even question her about that hunch. Hell, he still felt as though his brain was going to explode from all the unanswered questions. At the moment, though, he had an opportunity to find out the answer to one of them.

"When were you gonna tell me you had Robin Hood on speed dial?" He asked her, cocking up his scarred eyebrow.

Thea blinked, taken aback by the abruptness of his question. She didn't answer him right away. Instead, she opted to stare at him for a few moments, her eyebrows knitting together as she thought of a response. There was no point in dodging the question, or giving him her best poker face and acting like she didn't know what he was talking about. Even if she wanted to lie to Jake- which she didn't- it wouldn't have worked. Not while he was looking at her like he used to whenever he knew she was keeping something from him.

His dark blue eyes... they were soft as they stared into her. Welcoming, but also determined and relentless in finding the answer he was seeking.

"You know, I was going to. But I apparently can't catch a break when it comes to interruptions," she decided on with a simple shrug, wanting to start the conversation off with a little humor. A tactic from Jake that had rubbed off on her.

"I noticed that," he deadpanned, the upward curve of his lips contradicting the sharp look he gave her, "But we weren't interrupted at Verdant, Queen. Not before Sara showed up, and not after. You had time."

Thea bit her bottom lip, her gaze darting away from Jake and migrating to the midnight black Mustang he resided in. While she pondered on her next words, she began analyzing almost every inch of the muscle car, starting with the hood. From there, her eyes moved toward the bobble head that decorated the dashboard. She lingered there for a few seconds, her expression softening as she recalled that the military themed souvenir was a gift from Benji.

Her lips parted slightly in preparation when she found her voice, and her emerald eyes finally landed in the backseat. She noticed the closed duffel bag situated in the center, but she was too focused on her reply to truly process its meaning.

"We have time now," she finally offered, a thoughtful look adorning her features as she gazed his way, "I have a couple hours before I need to head over to the campaign office. We could-" Thea paused, the steady beating of her heart halting in its tracks.

Again, her wide eyes found the backseat, and something clicked in her brain.

Jake picked up on her sudden silence, his expression softening, "Thea?"

"You're leaving," the brunette uttered breathlessly, inhaling a sharp breath.

The tone of her voice matched the level of sadness that corrupted her gaze, erasing any prior trace of contentment.

Jake froze as her words reached his ears, his eyes widening slightly before he turned toward to the back seat. He cursed inwardly as his gaze found the duffel bag, and he remembered why it was even there in the first place.

"It's only been a _**week**_ , Jake," she continued, her arms meeting to cross over her chest, "You just got back, and now you want to leave? Again?"

His reply wasn't immediate. But when the words finally flowed out of his mouth, he turned to Thea. His deep blue eyes, which had averted away from her before, were raw with emotion. They pleaded with her to understand, and to trust in what he was telling her, "I don't **_want_** to leave, but there's something that I need to take care of. I will be gone, but only for the weekend."

His gaze remained locked onto her in an attempt to convey how much he meant what was said. They were meant to reassure her, but they only added to the jumbled doubts swirling around in her head. They were relentless, cutting through the image she had of him with a claim she was beginning to believe true: Jacob Hawthorne- her best friend, her rock in this unforgiving world- wouldn't always be by her side.

He wanted to leave after his father died and his grief was too much to bear. She understood that pain more than anyone, and had even voiced her own urge to leave after the Gambit's shipwreck. But Jake had been her reason to stay. He strong armed his way through her defenses and gave her a reason to stick around. He took the time to understand _her._ He saw through the spoiled brat who could go from buying out an entire mall one day, to spending half of her allowance on drugs the next afternoon.

He was her constant in a world where anything could happen as fast as the blink of an eye. While he was in her life, Thea believed that no matter how bad things got, he would be a text away. Ready with a destination to escape toward. Then, after three years of knowing him, his father had died of a homicide. He experienced what she felt when she found out her father had perished. And before she even began to repay him for being there for her, he left. He said his goodbyes, and disappeared without disclosing where he was going, or whether he would return.

 **He left her behind. And she had been naïve enough to think he wouldn't do it again.**

Before she could stray further and get too caught up in her head, she shook it and closed her eyes. They stayed shut for a few seconds as she exhaled through her nose.

"How can I believe you?" she asked, more so to herself than to Jake, who looked like he was going to answer.

However, he averted his gaze, and nothing left his lips but a shaky sigh. As a result, her question had settled in the air between them. It was whisked away into the beats of wary silence, which was soon broken by her voice.

"You were _gone_ , Jake. I didn't hear a thing from you after you left the first time. And now you expect me to trust that it won't happen again? That you'll come back?"

Jake felt the pain radiating from her tone as she spoke to him. He had hurt her, and it made him feel like the worst kind of person. However, that fact wasn't enough to sober him up. What really hurt was that, deep down, he knew she was right.

Along with his mother and Laurel, Thea wasn't aware of the journey he stumbled into after he left. She wasn't exposed to the man he became, or the things he did to survive. If she was, she would have known why he wanted to, but never reached out to her. She would have believed him instead of questioning his words.

Even though what had happened in Brazil was not a can of worms he ever wanted to open, he wasn't naïve enough to think those events were going to stay hidden forever. Especially not after his unexpected encounter with the Green Arrow. He at least thought he would have some time to come up with a way to explain everything. _On his terms._ But, as Thea stared at him, sad and disappointed, he realized that maybe it was time for her to know.

"You don't have any reason to believe me Queen. My track record on this isn't great, and I'm sorry for that. But I- my friend needs help. I **_have_** to be there to help her," Jake turned back to her, his eyes filled with all of the honesty he could muster.

Thea was silent as she held his gaze, her own softening gradually as she mulled over his words. They were sincere, and his tone was gentle like whenever he spoke about his loved ones. But this was a different kind of gentle, a rare softness used only for a girl who had managed to capture his attention.

Jake had dated a fair amount when he was younger, but those relationships never lasted long enough to even be considered official. The main, or more apparent reason, was their lack of electricity. The feeling that things were going to go somewhere. Or an emotion that bled into the words he spoke, and she could tell how he felt just by hearing them. Like the way he had talked about the girl he had met while he was away.

"Maia needs your help," she realized out loud, her eyes still on Jake as his expression shifted. The softness in his features instantly hardening at her words.

"She does," was his quick reply, and he gave her a lazy nod before avoiding her stare again.

Thea sighed in return, her breath silent as it joined the chilly afternoon air. He was still hiding something from her, and she **hated** it.

In her opinion, secrets were poison. They hid the truth, and were padlocked with lies and half truths. Her mother and her brother used them to keep things from her, despite their good intentions. It nearly destroyed what was left of her family, and she would be damned if she didn't try to stop it from wrecking another relationship.

"I could use another weekend getaway," she broke the silence, tracing a finger over the smooth exterior of the door.

Jake turned to her, his hard expression melting into a baffled look as his eyebrows shot up to meet his forehead, "What?"

"I'm coming with you," she stated like it was the most obvious answer, "You said she was like you. If that's true, and she's in real trouble, you can't just go alone without any backup. I can watch your back."

"Yeah? And who's gonna watch yours if shit hits the fan and we get separated?" He shot back with a pointed look.

She took a step back and gave him her own look in return, "I can take care of myself."

Jake let out an exasperated sigh, "Look, Thea I don't think-"

"I can't lose you again," she interrupted, her voice level raised an octave higher than usual, "And I **can't** just believe that you won't disappear again."

It was Thea's turn to sigh, though it was more breathless than Jake's, who grimaced at her response and swallowed the lump that began to form in his throat.

"Look, I want to help, but I don't have to come if you really don't want me to. I'll just call Laurel, and she could just get a GPS for the car," she finished quietly as she dipped her head down, suddenly taking an interest in the pair of vans sheltering her feet.

Jake turned away from her as well, favoring the sight of his steering wheel as another bout of silence filled the air. It felt more suffocating this time around, but he let it linger for a few moments, his eyes closing as he came to a decision. Soon, they opened, and another exhale escaped him before he reached for his door handle. He pressed a finger against one of the buttons on the keypad of controls, and the door guarding the passenger seat unlocked with an audible clicking noise.

Thea's head shot up from its lowered position at the sound, her expression questioning as she met his gaze again.

"I love Laurel, but I don't want her to worry about me. Sara needs her right now. And, if I'm being honest, I'd rather have you keeping tabs on me than an actual tracking device," Jake teased, his eyes glinting softly.

His words brought an amused smile out of the brunette, her face brightening as a warmth spread to her freckled cheeks.

She waited as a couple of cars passed them before crossing over to the other side and opening the door. Then, she slid effortlessly into the smooth leather seat, pulling her purse from her shoulder and letting it fall in her lap.

Jake leaned forward to turn the keys in the ignition. As a result, the classic car roared to life before dissolving into a fit of rumbling growls.

"Where are we headed?" Thea asked, a little too eager as she reached to fasten her seatbelt.

He did the same before shifting the gear to drive. Placing a hand on the wheel, he glanced her way before turning towards the street ahead, his eyes narrowing slightly, "Coast City."

* * *

 **Laurel's Apartment**

Sara awoke with a jolt, shooting up from the bed. Panic filled her as her wide blue eyes surveyed the spare bedroom, but it began to dissolve as her gaze roamed over the beige walls. A familiar warmth washed over her, and she remembered where she was.

She was home. Or, at least, a place she recognized from a life that felt so far away. The warmth that had spread through her grew cold as she recalled her life before her abrupt and untimely demise: rides with Benji in his Mustang before they took a break and he enlisted, starting college, her affair with Oliver, the Gambit's shipwreck, Lian Yu, joining the _**League of Assassins**. _ Her name was Ta-er al-Sahfer, and she was a survivor; someone who was willing to do anything and _everything_ to survive.

Of course, she had attempted to assimilate back into society in the form of the The Canary. Tackling the crime that slithered in the dark depths of the night, while adjusting to being back and repairing her relationship with Laurel during the day. Under normal circumstances, she might have been able to thrive. But things got too complicated, and her skills were needed to defeat Slade Wilson. His act of terrorism was yet another example of her hometown being a beacon for hostile takeovers.

Sara exhaled softly and turned to the nightstand at her left. Her lips curled up slightly at the mug of coffee sitting near the edge, and her sense of smell was immediately drawn to its aroma. Sweet and comforting, just like hazelnut. It was a flavor she had associated with her sister, and the rare moments they had shared before their relationship ran its rocky course.

Absentmindedly, her gaze took notice of the cardboard box at her right as she reached for the mug, it's heat warming up her hand as she grabbed it. At a glance, the contents of the box looked familiar, just like everything around her. But she wasn't in a hurry to question it, and instead opted to take a sip of her coffee first. That small sip turned into big gulps as she realized she was thirsty, and she found herself draining almost half of the warm beverage before she finally stopped to take a breather.

She sighed, lowering the mug to her midsection as she turned to the box again. At the top, an item of clothing slouched over the edge as if someone had pulled it out and forgot to put it back. It's fabric was black, and she could see a group of golden letters crinkled together.

An **H** , a **W,** a **T** and an **E**...

Sara felt the muscles in her back stiffen suddenly as she realized who it belonged to. Blinking, she set aside her coffee and slid off of the bed. Her bare feet landed on the carpeted floor with a soft thud before they began shuffling across the room. Soon, they stopped in front of the box, firm in position.

She just stood there for minutes that felt like hours, her gaze focused on the baseball jersey. _Jake's baseball jersey._ Remembering that name made her recall the face it matched, and a swarm of memories overwhelmed her thoughts.

Compared to her rocky relationship with her sister, Sara got along with Jake like rum did with coke. She just... clicked with him in terms of personality, and found herself impressed at his antics more than she should have. He matched her so well- and at times rivaled her- in acts of rebellion that it only boosted his charm. That way, she couldn't be mad at him even if she wanted to. They had disagreements, sure. Some of which made her want to thank Laurel for putting up with her. But they never escalated or ran past their natural course.

He was the little brother she never had growing up, and she felt fortunate enough to have him in her life before everything changed. Before life put them through the ringer, and they came out on the other side as killers. It was a strange thought for Sara; to think of Jake as someone who was capable of that. However, it was something she had learned to accept as a survivor. That people changed, and could become something no one could ever imagine.

Sara had noticed his absence when she returned to Starling, clad in her black leather and signature blonde wig. Though, it didn't alarm her until Laurel had informed her of the circumstances. She was angry and heartbroken for Jake, but like her sister, she figured he would be fine. However, after defeating Slade and leaving her home once again to rejoin the League, she discovered how wrong she was.

It was one of the last missions she was sent on before she felt the sharp stab of arrows piercing her chest; the wind whipping past her when she fell from the rooftops, and her body slamming against the hard concrete before darkness took over. Sara remembered being confused when Ras had sent her to Brazil, tasked with killing a man who gained notoriety for killing an elder member. The location she had stumbled into was busy with a heated fight, but she only focused on finding her target. However, when she finally found him and went in for the kill, she was absolutely blindsided by Jake. He didn't hesitate in firing his gun upon sensing her presence. And she was too stunned by him to retaliate, so she only had enough time to dodge the spray of bullets and disappear from his view.

He was in her way; that alone was enough to warrant his death. She could of have fought long enough to subdue and kill him like she had been taught. Like she had been given permission to do if necessary. She was a killer, and yet, she didn't have the heart to take the life of someone she once loved.

A shaky breath escaped Sara's lips as she bent her knees and leaned over the box. Slowly, and almost hesitantly, her hands reached for the jersey. Her calloused fingers gripped onto the black polyester like a lifeline, and her eyes fluttered shut.

Somehow, from wherever she was while her body roamed rampant without _her_ , she had heard his pleas to fight. To come back home.

Laurel guided her physically, bringing her back from the dead and helping her power through her demons so she could return. But it was the thought of seeing Jake again- of helping him conquer his darkness- that reclaimed her soul.

* * *

 **Coast City**

Thea hummed softly along as she listened to the music from Jakes Walkman, it resting in her lap as she googled the locations he had given her. As she typed along to the beat, searching the last place Maia had been spotted in, she made a mental note to look for clothing store.

Once she joined Jake for the ride, they hit the road immediately, and she didn't have enough to time to stop by Laurel's for a change of clothes. Thea didn't really mind since Sara was there, and she didn't want to disturb her while she adjusted to being back. Besides, Jake had offered her his sweatshirt and a few t-shirts that wouldn't look too baggy on her. She had worn some of his clothes in the past, usually whenever they were together and she had forgotten her jacket. So she was more than fine with wearing them again.

Jake had finally slowed down when they entered the city four hours later, stopping by a local Chinese restaurant before settling in a nearby motel. He rented them a room for three nights; it was on the second floor, and it only had one bed since it was the cheaper one out of the two that were available. The sky was darkening into a shade of midnight black by the time they arrived, so Thea was the first to shower before they ate. After she finished, Jake went in, and she went straight for the laptop he had unpacked from his bag.

The youngest Queen stifled a yawn, her gaze darting away from the bright screen and to the bathroom door on her left. The music in her ears was low enough for her to hear the clinking of shower curtains, which told her he had just gotten out of the shower.

She exhaled, closing the laptop and leaning back into the king sized bed. Her emerald eyes fluttered shut, and she felt herself relax. She succumbed to the peaceful moment, and found her thoughts drifting off to Jake.

Coupled with listening to his collection of music (which usually consisted of 80s rock and 90s hip hop, but she was surprised to find some pop and a variety of EDM), wearing his sweatshirt overwhelmed her with familiarity. It was comforting, and made her want to smile. But it was also heart shattering, and made her want to cry. He wasn't the same charismatic dork she had ran into at one of her mother's charity galas, suffocating her with his boyish grins and bold remarks. He wasn't the same boy with black curls and eyes that were light and full of energy, despite their darker shade.

She knew he would change at some point. Hell, _she_ was far from the same person she had been back then. She just wasn't expecting him to be so... distant. He had always been moderately introverted, keeping to himself sometimes instead of sharing his thoughts with her. When he did fill her in, he would always been truthful with her. Brutally honest, even. But since he had been back, she felt like he was holding back from her. And at times, she couldn't even read him well enough to figure out what was wrong. Deep down, she knew it had to do with him being gone the last few years. It hit her like a wave when he mentioned that he visited South America, and she had remembered the nasty thought that crept upon her. She did well in hiding it from him, but she couldn't fight it as it plagued her mind, making a part of her believe it was true. That maybe, just maybe, his prolonged time away involved Phillippe Garmudela. **_The man responsible for ruining his life_**.

Thea's peace was interrupted by a sharp creak, and she cracked an eye open to find Jake leaving the bathroom with a hand lost in his mop of navy curls and the other grasping his shampoo.

He glanced her way as he passed the bed, shooting off a smile as he shuffled toward his duffel bag; his covered toes sifting through the carpet.

She watched him lazily, both eyes readjusting to the lit room as he tossed the bottle of Axe into the bags opening. Once they did, her mouth opened as she was about to comment on his newfound taste in pop music. However, she froze before she could utter out the words, her gaze locking onto his right arm.

"When did you get a tattoo?" She asked as she slid off of the bed, removing the buds from her ears.

Jake turned to her, his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced down to his bare arm, "A couple months ago, why?"

Thea didn't offer a reply as she crossed the room and stood beside him, her gaze never leaving his arm. At a glance, the design appeared complex, with several objects connected yet separated into invisible columns. Some of them popped with color, bright reds and pinks that looked orange underneath the lighting of the bedroom. The others paled in comparison, marking the ivory skin of Jake's arm with black and grey.

Reaching out to grab his hand, she tugged the limb closer. Her touch was gentle, coaxing it to relax in her grasp as she scanned each detail of the tattoo; starting where it began above his wrist line. First was his father's SCPD badge, and her lips curled into a faint frown as she read over the engrained initials. Above it, her eyes found the caduceus symbol, which she was certain was a representation of his mother. The cycle continued as she analyzed the sleeve, her fingers running over what looked like an assortment of flowers and a cracked three-dimensional skull scattered between the sections she had just seen. Then, she moved onto a set of glinting dog tags, and an image of Benji's radiant smile crossed her mind. When her eyes lifted to the next object, however, she found herself attempting to place a name to it. She figured it was a flag of some sort, the center resembling a globe with a rhombus around it. But it looked like it had seen better days, tattered with several tears and holes.

"Y'know, if I thought getting a tattoo would attract **_this_** much attention, I would have gotten one sooner," Jake teased suddenly, disrupting the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

Thea was caught off guard, but she was able to resist the urge to snort and instead delivered a particularly sharp poke to the upper part of his arm. Afterward, she spared a glance at his face, which stared down at her with a sly smirk.

"You were a blank canvas before. And I've only seen you in sleeves since you've been back, so I just assumed it stayed that way," her gaze found another assortment of flowers below the half sleeve of his black v-neck, and she traced over the outline once more.

They were the same as the others she had seen; roses with its thorns alternating positions with the one skull and the surrounding objects, each petal and pointed thorn drawn with intricate detail. However, as her gaze swept over the whole design, she realized that the flowers were the _only_ parts of the tattoo with color.

"Yeah, well it's not finished. My arm took awhile to heal, so I had to space out each appointment. I couldn't fit the last one in before I had to leave, but at least I have some time to figure out what I want for Sara and Laurel's piece," he informed softly as he slid the fabric up to the top of his shoulder, exposing the area of unmarked skin to the ventilated air.

"It's beautiful, Jake. Really," Thea told him after a moment, her voice a bit breathless as she tilted her head up to him.

Her heart fluttered when she found him staring at her softly, and she discovered he was closer than she remembered. The arm in her grasp was folded, his knuckles resting against her chest while serving as the only divider between them.

She bit her lip, glancing down to Jake's arm as she slowly released it from her grasp.

It fell back to rest beside his hip, but he remained in the same place. Thea stayed still as well, and they both avoided each other's gaze until he spoke.

"I'm glad you're here, Thea," he whispered gently, finding her face again.

She turned to him, her eyes widening as she met his gaze, which stared back at her with a level of intensity capable of making her melt right there.

"Of course," she somehow managed to whisper back, though it was a bit louder and rushed.

They held each other's gaze for another moment, and she could've sworn he was leaning further towards her before all of a sudden, his serious expression washed away just as fast as he had turned away from her.

Just like that, the electricity she had sensed in the air between them fell flat, and he trudged over to the bag of takeout resting on top of the tv stand.

Thea stood there stunned, watching his back as he removed their containers of fried rice. She almost didn't react in time as he turned to hand over her's with a grin before reaching for the television remote.

Jake **rarely** called her by her first name. When he did, he had always said it out of frustration or fear. Never with ease, like the way they had just flowed from his lips.

He was so nonchalant about it, which confused and frustrated her at the same time. What he said was so simple, and yet they carried meaning. It was something she couldn't recognize at that moment, but a part of her couldn't help but feel that this would change things between them.

* * *

 **A/N: What did you guys think of Jake's tattoo?**

 **Also, here are all the translations for the Portuguese phrases/words in the flashback!**

 **Isso ficará ótimo com seu arco, minha vida: _This will look great with your bow, my life._**

 **Papai: _Dad_**

 **Garoto: _Boy_**

 ** _Neta: Granddaughter_**

 **C** ** _ães vadios: Stray Dogs_**


End file.
